


A Chronicle of Smoke and Salt

by storiesfromagreendreamer



Series: A Realm of Gods and Men [1]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Asoiaf - Fandom, Game of Thrones (TV), GameOfThrones, GoT - Fandom, asongoficeandfire
Genre: A Song of Ice and Fire References, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - A Song of Ice and Fire Fusion, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Battle, Dragons, Essos, F/F, F/M, FCFics, Fanfiction, Fantasy, Game of Thrones References, Gen, Inspired by A Song of Ice and Fire, Inspired by Game of Thrones, Magic, Multi, Post - A Song of Ice and Fire, Post - Game of Thrones (TV), Sequel, Unofficial Sequel, War, Westeros
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-25
Updated: 2019-06-06
Packaged: 2020-03-17 03:26:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 37,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18956926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storiesfromagreendreamer/pseuds/storiesfromagreendreamer
Summary: As known till today, following the end of Game of Thrones, the author and the channel are not going for a sequel, only prequels. The characters however can continue to live and continue their adventures in a public domain non-commercial fanfiction world. With full respect to copyrights of the author and the TV Channel, I attempted to continue running these imaginary journeys of the characters and plotlines that did not seem getting resolved. This journey is targeted to fulfill the void of TV series - having seasons and episodes. The series is named A Realm of Gods and Men, and the first season is titled A Chronicle of Salt and Smoke. The second season, which is ongoing and also in AO3, is linked as next work in the series.Arya reaches the three islands that Elissa Farman found on her way West of Westeros. Jon travels to survey land beyond the wall to the extreme end. We are curious where Drogon took Daenerys and how are the divided kingdoms’ chronicles going on with Bran and Sansa. We will also get to cover the unfinished and open ended storylines with Essos, Sothoryos and unfinished puzzles.





	1. Rites of Spring

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Game of Thrones](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/484975) by George R R Martin and other writers. 



**A Realm of Gods and Men**   
**Season 1 - A Chronicle of Smoke and Salt**   
_Episode 1 - Rites of Spring_

   


 

"Dinner has been served, my Lady"

Arya Stark gets startled. She had been looking into the horizons for minutes. Or hours mayhaps? She could not recall. Somebody, someone used to address her in that way. She does not want to recall.

"Do not call me my Lady"

The northern sailor from White Harbor nods and turns away. He is one of the youngest in the ship. Sailing is not much popular in the North. The men from White Harbor are more used to short distance commercial trips than this long uncertain journey, and Arya did not receive much help from the Ironborn after the threat she made. That is not a problem. She would do with whoever she gets.

Today was a flesh day with stewed capon, dried peas and ale in the meal. If they were at land, this might have been the first day of Spring, the weather out there at the day hinted fewer clouds and a relatively strong sun compared to what the sailors experienced the last few months. An air of relief and joy was around the table, at least they would not have to fear the winter storms. Some of the sailors started singing. One of them looked at Arya Stark a bit apprehensive in case she does not allow this merriment. Arya gave out the slightest hint of smile that anyone can give. But that was sufficient.

_Arose she high, arose she high_

_With the four-head beast she leaped to sky_

_From the straits of fair isles_

_They flew away far off leagues and miles.._

"What does a four-head beast even look like?" one of the drunk sailors cut in.

"Ah, ain't a beast." the one who answered had a strange accent that Arya could not recall from anyone she knew in Westeros or Essos. Is this guy from the Summer Isles? Or the Citadel?

"T'was Lady Elissa Farman and her three friends. The dragon princess Rhaena Targaryen, Lady Alayne Royce and Lady Stokeworth. The young lord called them four-head beast. From that a bard picked it up perhaps."

"And why would some sweet ladies earn that name?" Another drunk sailor retorted. Arya gave a quick and sharp look. It was common notion in the ships that their captain dislikes ladies and soft references associated to them, and still they do that mistake always. But it was a spring night, and the cauldrons ran full of ale, so it was ok mayhaps, Arya thought.

"They flew around always with the dragon princess. That was before Lady Elissa abandoned her and stole her dragon eggs. Before she sailed off to the Sunset sea in search of new, like our Lady Stark."

"And what happened after that?"

"Nobody knows. They sailed with three ships. Only one returned to Oldtown. The captain said there was a huge storm.."

Out in the deck, a watchman looks worried into the evening horizon, a smoke of cloud is taking shape at the corner of the sky. Not a good sign. Is it time to blow horns?

"..and one of the ships got lost. Then they found three islands. Full of strange beasts. Lady Elissa went further, but the captain of the returned ship refused and fled with his crew back to Oldtown."

"And then?"

"Nobody knows what happened then. She never returned"

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

"But she might return some day, your grace." Lord Gendry insisted, "If you would not mind me asking, have you tried sending ravens to her direction?"

"We did" Queen Sansa replied, a bit curious about the question from the blacksmith boy, now Lord of Storms End, "Courtesy of the clever trick of that woman who called herself Dragon Queen" she thought, "Why is he so much interested in Arya?". She asked the favor of Lord Gendry to give her a few good smith hands to help rebuild Winterfell, but she did not expect that he will himself come along with them from all the way South. And it is Arya's stories he is most interested in from the moment he stepped in.

"And..?"

"They all returned. No scrolls, no news, no sighting of her fleets. Not in any port North or South"

The new Lord clearly seemed disappointed. "I hope my men would serve your purpose, your grace. If you allow, may I start my way back tomorrow?" Is it then her sister all the way he traveled for instead of sending his men? "My people, my new people are waiting for me."

Sansa nodded curtly. She had seen Arya to gossip with the blacksmith boy when he was still just a smith. Before the war, before the great war. But that was a different time. Everything changed after the war. Not that everything she can complain for. She is the queen of the North now, and North is independent. But independence has its own price to keep. Who said that? Sansa could not remember. Was it Lord Baelish?

She didn't want to recall.

Lord Gendry courteously nodded and went away in straight long strides. The boy resembles his father Robert Baratheon so much in their eyes. Sansa remembered the King, a drunk jolly king. He asked her father for their houses to be joined.

A thought suddenly crossed her mind. What if Arya was also interested in this boy? Will this boy be able ever to bring her weird sister back? Not that she misses her much, but.. yes she does. She misses her strength, her support beside now that Ser Brienne has been promoted to Lady Commander of the Kingsguard in King Bran's court. She misses her arrogant straight looks that would read everything in your mind inside out. What was the name of the game she used to play? A game of faces. "We never stopped playing" she said once to her.

So many games to play. The game of thrones is over now, but there are new ones rushing in.

The other day in the Winterfell hall they discussed about who will take charge of the Last Hearth, Karholds, and Bear Islands. There was a mess. And slowly the court moved over to a chaotic debate between the houses, until Maester Wolkan entered with a scroll, almost to Sansa's relief.

"Pardon me your grace. We have a raven from Castle Black."

"What is it?"

"Your brother, Jon Snow, he left Castle Black with the wildlings to the Lands of Always Winter to survey it. He will be surveying the land and place the wildlings over that land."

"But how? No one yet can permanently live there. It is too cold."

"Your grace, the weather has changed, so has the land."

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The fist stood there, bare, naked of ice. At first, it took some time for Jon to recognize the place. Once it was covered in ice and snow, now there is a vast green land lying beyond him.

The freefolk were excited, so was Ghost. As they were settling their tents for a camp in the night, he ran after wild prizes.

"You were right. He likes it here." Tormund said as they watched over Ghost from high.

"He would. He is of the north." Jon replied

"You are not." Tormund's opportunism in teasing Jon to be less Northerner was predictable to Jon by now, he knew it was coming. "You southerners always have pushed us to here in the cold. Now the winter is over, we are rich, more rich than any of your Southern lords can think."

"I told you before. I am from North. Winterfell is North."

That night as they gathered around near the fire, Jon in his tent drew out a paper, circled their spots covered on the way to the North, further and further beyond. He has to see what lies further North, or what lay before. Her sister has gone her way to west of Westeros, and his is to find the North of the Northern lands known. "The planet is round" Sam once told him, he read that in some book in Castle Black library perhaps, or at the Hornhills. If that is so, won't he reach South going more North? Won't Arya reach East at some point of time? Sometimes, different roads lead to the same castle. Hope it is not a burning castle this time.

All of a sudden, the thought of Daenerys came to his mind. She was looking at his face, in wonder, in astonishment, stabbed by him but still holding him for support, hugging him strongly. She could not believe it, her eyes could not believe it.

"And she never wanted to leave.." one of the nights watchmen accompanying them was singing beside the fire. "Never wanted to leave". The boy had a sweet voice, but perhaps not as sweet as the big woman Ser Brienne's square had, Tormund thought. "She did want to leave me though", sighed he, "and went to the capital with her square".

\---------------------------------------------------

Podrick moved Bran's wheelchair to the Kingswood. Much of the forest burned with the fire, but not the heart tree. Podrick gently moved the chair near to the heart tree. The King will go now. Podrick always stares in amazement when the King rolls his eyes up and goes. Sometimes it is for a few seconds, sometimes hours. Crows took flight from the heart tree. For some reason there are always crows around whenever the King goes, Podrick has noticed, he felt a little cold as a slight grey mist moved through the Kingswood.

\---------------------------------------------------

First the shadows covered the port, then the shops inside the long bridge of Volantis. Is it already evening? Or is it a cloud or storm? Shopkeepers tried to look through their small window holes peeping out from the bridge.

It was a dragon, the largest ever they could imagine from stories heard bedtime.

Drogon circled around the city for a few times. Then slowly, very slowly, carefully landed down in front of the red temple, putting Daenerys's lifeless body as gently as an egg in front of the red door where they were waiting.

All of them.

Kinvara nodded. Drogon looked at her and screeched an appeal of a candlefire that is about to be put out. He has served as the servant of the Lord of Light for now. He has melted the iron throne, brought his mother to the place she would be safe, he knew.

Other servants of the Lord of Light came forward and gently took Daenerys's body inside the red door. Drogon leaped to the sky.

\---------------------------------------------------

Bran came back from his vision. He nodded to Podrick. "Take me to Lord Tyrion".

"Lord Tyrion is interviewing candidates for Maester of Whisperers, your grace. Shall I take you there?"

Bran nodded again.

\-----------------------------

The man is in his late youth, has a strange Essosi accent, from Braavos. "Are all whisperers based on Essos?" Tyrion thought. This man also may prove a fruitful connection to Braavos and Iron Bank, but he seems too much boastful at the conversation, he concluded when Podrick came there with Bran.

"Your grace." Tyrion stood up and bowed shortly, giving a gesture to the candidate to leave for now.

"I have to talk to you Tyrion." he looked up to Podrick, who understood and left the room at once.

"It is about Daenerys. Red Priests of Volantis have her body now."

Tyrion sighed, he just began to feel comfortable after all this warfare. Perhaps that is over now.

(End of Episode)


	2. Isles of Dragon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tyrion sends an old assassin friend to Essos in a secret mission. Sansa plans with Lord Royce about claiming new warm lands beyond the wall to be brought under jurisdiction of the North. Jon Snow reaches near the curtain of light at the heart of winter and a storm separates him from the rest of the freefolk and Night's Watch. Simultaneously, another storm forms near Arya's ship and they lose control of it. Arya gains consciousness back on a strange island.

 

 **A Realm of Gods and Men**  

 ** _Season 1: A Chronicle of Smoke and Salt_  **  
  
Episode 2: Isles of Dragon 

 

  
  
  
  
(Previously on A Realm of Gods and Men:

Arya Stark learns about Elissa's journey. Jon Snow travels to extreme North planning to map the Land of Always Winter and resettle freefolk in the changed weather. On his course he passes fist of first men. Sansa Stark realizes weight of the throne for the first time. Brandon Stark sees Drogon landing in front of the red door of the red temple of Volantis. Lord Gendry of Storm's End wants to know the whereabouts of Arya and visits Winterfell, helping them with trained smiths for reconstruction) 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tyrion entered Bronn's chamber. Late evening. Bronn was looking at a paper trying hard to understand arithmetic figures.

Tyrion: "Ser Bronn of Blackwater, Lord Paramount of Highgarden and the Reach, I did not expect you in your room, alone this late. Have you forgotten your commitment towards King's Landing's.."

Bronn: ".. brothels. Listen cunt, I never asked you to make me count dumb coins day and night. Or else I wouldn't have been here now at this hour."

Tyrion: (in a sarcastic voice) "I am still the hand. You should talk to me with more respect."

Bronn: (dismissing) "Yes, yes, you have been hands. To kings and queens. Your brother could not keep his own bloody hand, and you keep carrying on. Perhaps if a new king comes, you will turn as his hand as well".

Tyrion: "Perhaps. But I guess I will be too old by then. And I did not want to be the hand, our King has made me", (drinking) "not sure if he needed a hand at all."

Bronn: "Yes, all he needed were two feet to walk on, and here you are".

Tyrion: (a bit disapprovingly) "I think it's my responsibility to remind you, that our King sees all, and he knows things."

Bronn: "How does he know? By drinking? Like you? You are the guy who tells him everything, isn't that it?"

Tyrion: (drinks again) "I wish I knew more than him. But sometimes knowledge is terrifying"

Bronn: (looks at Tyrion with a 'need clarification' gesture)

Tyrion: "Daenerys Targaryen's body is now with the Red Priests of Volantis."

Bronn: "And?"

Tyrion: "Apparently, Red Priests can bring people to life. The red woman did, Thoros of Myr did. What if the highest priest among them brings back Daenerys back to life?"

Bronn: "You believe all that?"

Tyrion: "I don't want to. But I have seen stranger things. What if?" His voice turns serious now.

Bronn: "We are fucked".

Tyrion moves his head. Bronn knows what he is expecting him to do. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A ship leaving for Volantis from King's Landing has two crew talking. Bronn boards the ship and gets past them.

Crew 1: "If the winds are on, we will reach Volantis by a fortnight"

Crew 2: "Gods be good. At least we don't have to sail west of Westeros like they did last moon. Have you heard anything like that before?"

Crew 1: "Yes, I heard those who sail west in the Sunset sea never comes back"

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Arya and the crew look over anxiously to the coming storm. This is nothing like they have ever seen, and certainly not a winter storm. The sea waves are rising a hundred feet high from the looks. The horns were blown, everybody shouts and tries to manage the situation, masts are being lowered. Nothing gets complete when the storm hits. The ship turns upside down. Arya can catch at a piece of wood, and tries to remain floating in the wild sea, and watches the phosphorescence of the sea waves.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From the phosphorescence lights of the sea, the scene gets morphed to strange lights playing in a cold dark sky. Jon and Tormund are looking at that with amazement. A freefolk veteran approaches them to tell something.

"The curtains of light" Jon tells Tormund.

"They say death lives beyond that curtain" Tormund replies.

"We should go back. This is too far north." The freefolk veteran says.

"Death is defeated already." Jon says, "We have nothing to fear now".

"You never know" Tormund retorts and moves away. Jon keeps on looking at him, then he looks back to the relatively warmer land downhill that they have crossed. Somewhere far down that green, he left Winterfell, where he grew up once with his family. Winterfell music plays as a storm engulfs and separates them.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In Winterfell, Lord Royce is discussing with Sansa.

Lord Royce: "Your grace, if the words are true, then there is a huge fertile land now beyond the wall now that ice has gone."

Sansa: "How big it is?"

Lord Royce: "At least twice the size of the whole North is what Maester Wolkan says."

Sansa: "Twice the size of North. Doesn't it belong within the North?"

Lord Royce: "No your grace. The North holds up to the land of the new gift. Beyond that is the realm of Night's Watch."

Sansa: "What would Night's Watch do with that much land? Now there is no night king, and no army of the dead. What are they protecting us from?"

Lord Royce: "Your grace, your brother is taking the wildlings out there. May be he wants to give those lands to the wildlings."

Sansa: "He is not my brother."

Lord Royce: "Pardon me your grace."

Sansa: "No, I mean, yes he is my brother.. and we grew up together.."

Lord Royce: (looking concerned at Sansa) "Your grace, if you forgive me, I have heard a rumor about your brother. If you allow me to share it."

Sansa: "It is true."

Lord Royce: (slowly) "If it is true, then do you know what that means your grace?"

Sansa: (keeps staring at Lord Royce, trying to grasp what he is trying to say, which she probably guesses correctly)

Lord Royce: "It means Targaryens are not yet gone."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

"Targaryen princess, she used to ride with her, on her dragon, with two other friends. They were called four headed beast..."

Arya feels her head has jumbled up. Is there a four-headed beast? Or is it she herself,? Does she have four heads now? Slowly the blur is removed and Arya can see daylight.

She is on a landmass, beside the sea. Her ship seemingly crashed in an island in the storm on a large stone near the shore and got broken. She finds herself on the shore, and bodies of dead men around, and flotsam and jetsam from the ship. Near the bodies, a strange beast is trying to smell. Arya clears her eyes and try to look again. Yes, it is a beast, a lizard, seemingly with four heads.

(End of Episode)


	3. Heart of Winter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arya finds an unlikely friend. Jon Snow gets trapped in an ancient strange castle. Gendry meets Bran on his way back, and offers help in rebuilding King's Landing, but Bran asks him something strange. Red priests attempt to revive Daenerys. Bronn reaches Volantis. Sam asks Tyrion to arrange a citadel Maester to join Jon beyond the wall. Tyrion wants to know why, and Sam tells him that a Targaryen alone in the world is a terrible thing.

**A Realm of Gods and Men**

_**Season 1: A Chronicle of Smoke and Salt**_  

Episode 3: Heart of Winter

 

 

(Previously on A Realm of Gods and Men:

Arya Stark's fleet faces a deadly storm and the ship crashes in an Island. Jon Snow travels to extreme North planning to map the Land of Always Winter and resettle freefolk in the changed weather. On his course he passes fist of first men, reaches heart of winter and experiences the curtain of lights when a storm engulfs them. Lord Royce points to Sansa that the weather at Lands of Always Winter is changing and it is no longer a totally unexplorable land. Tyrion sends the new Master of Coins Ser Bronn of the Blackwater across the narrow sea with undisclosed missions. )

Arya restrained her urge to run away and looked closely at the beast. It was a sluggish lizard as large as a dear. The curves and bumps on its body gave an impression of multiple heads, like the island itself which got two small hills as its head.

"The Isles of Dragon" she murmured, "Aegon Rhaenys and Visenya, the three islands Elissa discovered and named." remembering from the drunk men conversation.

The lizard was now moving towards her. Arya ran, as fast as she could, passed through a small forest, almost stumbled upon another lizard, and then again. Crossing the woods and bushes and marsh, until she reached a beautiful spring coming downhill. She stopped and gasped.

"Shouldn't have run so fast" she thought, those lizards move too slow, and proceeded to drink from the waterfall.

Her senses earned from house of black and white told her something when she was about to finish washing her face and hands. She moved around.

There they were. Standing by the side of a tree. Two of them. Arya recognized, they were her own ship crew. She smiled, but they were not smiling back, at least not in the way she wanted to. She remembered Biter's glance, and that glance was in their eyes now. They looked at each other with a dirty smirk and came for her.

As usual, Arya was swift and sudden. Before even understanding anything one of them got pierced with blood leaking out. The other one was a bit cautious, escaping her hit and moving back slowly and carefully, pulling his sword. Arya took out Needle from the first guy and swapped her Valyrian Steel dagger for the other hand at the same time, and followed him.

She didn't have to. Other people were coming as well. One of them grabbed the fleeing man around the neck and held a knife to his throat. "Shall I kill him, my lady?" The young sailor asked.

Arya considered quickly with her usual rapid mind. "No, " she said, "tie him down and take him prisoner, and, for the last time, do not call me a lady."

"As.. ok.. captain."

There were around twelve of them now. Arya had a quick glance at their faces, staring amazed at the body lying there dead. She didn't want them to stay there long or think what happened, and told them to move on. "We got to repair the ship".

\---------------------------------------------------------

The storm blurred visibility. Jon could not see it all well. He moved forward regardless, and stumbled at stuff - a standing stone, two of them, then what looked like a table or an altar, then a gate. He eventually found his way inside a large room, larger than anything else he had seen so far beyond the wall.

And the storm slowly receded.

The castle was ancient for sure. Here and there were signs of corrosion. The door thudded the moment after he entered, and the storm seemed to recede as well. Was there any connection between the two? Where are the other freefolks and night's watchmen? Jon tried to think, but could not very cohesively. In front of him was a large hall. Very large. Decorated all over with patterns.

Patterns of spiral.

Jon tried to open the door, it would not. Is there a window? There is. He looked out and saw a heart tree outside that he didn't notice when entering. But something was weird and different about this heart tree. It was blue. All it's leaves are a deep shade of blue. He tried to open the window. It would not.

He moved around. Facing the hall, it's ornate decorations with patterns of spiral here and there, and moved forward. A large door was at the end, looming, gaping for him. He rushed and went past through it.

Did the room move? Was it a boat? Or inside a boat? He wasn't sure, but within it the bed he knew, everything he knew. He knew the girl sitting on the bed, with white braided hair falling down her head like a silver cascade. The girl was humming a sweet lullaby. Did anyone sing him a lullaby ever? In his childhood? Perhaps not. Jon could not remember. She was singing to a little lump of clothes in her lap. It's a baby. Daenerys looked up at him, smiling.

'Come' she said.

And Jon moved frozen, hypnotized. Did Dany survive? Did she have a baby? How is that possible? He killed her in his own hand. Then Drogon took her away. Did he bring her here? Is he around? Will he burn Jon alive when he sees him close to his mother once again? There were so many questions Jon could not put a stop to his thoughts. The thoughts were rushing, past him, like a storm, like ghosts.

The thought of ghost suddenly was about to put an end to his thought, but Daenerys held his hand and had him sit. She was smiling the sweetest smile he has ever seen. The smile of a mother. I didn't have a mother, or I had, he thought.

'You were right all along." Dany said with a smile, giving him the baby. And Jon spread his hands.

It was a beautiful girl, the sweetest child he has ever seen, she held out her hand, as to touch him.

"I fathered a child." he thought, "I vowed not to. I fathered a bastard child. I never wanted to. I never married Dany. She was my aunt. And then everything went wrong. Like this child. Unfathomably sweet, but horribly wrong." Yes, wrong, something was very wrong, about this baby, Dany, this room inside a boat, this castle.

"These all are my imaginations" he thought. "Nothing exists here. Nothing is just nothing. Or it is all magic." Jon moved up and away. Dany and the little baby kept on staring at him.

He moved through the next door, and there was small light. It was a cave. A hot spring inside it. Jon could feel the warmth. He knew this place as well. The spring water made a little pool inside the cave, and there was a girl he knew. A girl gone so very long he almost couldn't remember the name at first shock. "Ygritte?"

"I told you, we should never have left the cave."

"And I told you, we will go back there." He found himself telling.

"Come, Jon Snow. After all this, you returned to your stupid vow again? Come, break it."

"No" Jon knew it all. He went out and ran, hearing Ygritte burst with laughter from back "You know nothing Jon Snow".

"Yes, I don't know. And I don't want to know." Jon ran as fast as he could through the cave full of dragonglass. Was it fear? Or anger? Jon couldn't tell what was pushing him. He didn't know. Two girls whom he grew up with were coming forward for him, candles in their hands. "Sometimes anger makes you do unfortunate things" the taller one said. "Sometimes fear makes you do unfortunate things" the little one replied, "I will go with anger". Jon knew who were they. But he didn't know them. And he didn't care.

At last, there was a hint of daylight, coming from outside, through a door. A red door. Jon ran and ran towards it. There were chants he was hearing from the darkness around. Chants in Valyrian?

"Hen sȳndrorro, ōños, hen perzys, hen ñuqīr, perzys"

A group of women, all clad in red, gathered around a body, red in blood, red stained her white hair, and prayed. He didn't want to listen. He didn't want to look back. One of the women pulled her eyes from the prayer and looked at him. He knew the voice. The red woman.

"Are you a virgin, Jon Snow?"

"No, I am not" he thought, running, running out of that red door. "Hen sȳndrorro, ōños, hen ñuqīr, perzys, hen morghot, glaeson".

Suddenly there was broad daylight all around. Did he stumble upon here? When? A familiar face looked down towards him, two familiar eyes, red eyes, as red as those doors were, and sniffed him. Behind him was a man with a long beard that he knew from a long ago.

"Ghost" is all that he could say, before falling senseless again, while the red door closed.

\---------------------------------------------------------

Behind the door, in a hall, the group of the red women kept on chanting around the body. Kinvara slowly pulled herself up. A man clad in red at the corner come forward and join her.

"Has she shown any sign of life yet, your highness the first servant?" they talked in Valyrian

"Not yet"

"Will the lord have mercy on her? She made terrible mistakes. And it has been so long that we are trying."

"That is the Lord's to decide. We are just his servants. All we can do is to pray." Kinvara looked at him "Have you prepared the glass candles in my chamber?"

"Yes, your highness the first servant" the man replied.

Kinvara enters her chamber, moves to her table, and looks at the glass candle. It is burning with a beautiful translucent light, so bright that the shadow inside the candle is looking like a hole in the world, a black hole.

\---------------------------------------------------------

The flame of the candle gets defocused. Behind it is a little boy, little Sam, looking curiously at the candle. "What is it father?"

"It's a dragonglass candle" Sam replied hastily going through a lot of scrolls from ravens.

"Why is it so different from other candles?"

"Dragonglass candles are said to have magical properties." Sam explained, "Some says they burn eternally. Some says if you look at its flame close you can see things far away or hear voices from far away, half the world apart."

"Have you ever seen anything father?"

"No"

"Heard anything?"

"No, these are mostly fables and stories, my son. Now if you pardon me, I will have to go meet the hand of the king to discuss something important." Sam takes a scroll, caresses little Sam and goes out. Little Sam keeps looking at the dragonglass candle.

\--------------------------------------------------

Tyrion is reading recommendation letters and credentials a Maester of Whisperer candidates presented, when Sam enters his chamber.

"Lord Tyrion, I needed to speak to you."

"Grand Maester Samwell Tarly, what a pleasant surprise. Tell me, how can I be of any help."

"Thank you. You knew Maester Aemon Targaryen. Since he died, there is no Maester at Castle Black. Now that Jon has went out with the wildlings to survey and map the lands of always winter since it is free from threats now - they will need a Maester. Could you ask the Citadel to send a Maester to them?"

"Of course I will. But what use wildlings will have with a Maester."

"They are people just like us. They can get ill, they will need medicines, and treatments. And besides that, I don't want Jon to stay alone with them, without wise counsel. Because.."

"Because?"

"Because.. Maester Aemon once told me, that a Targaryen alone in this world is a terrible thing".

"I see" Tyrion seems thoughtful. "Yes, you are right. They will get a Maester."

Sam smiles and nods. "I hope we have sufficient budget for paying his allowance".

"I am afraid not at this moment." Tyrion sighs, "But we will shortly be able to arrange more than enough for that. I have sent the Maester of Coins in several important missions to Essos. He will visit Braavos among other destinations. It seems like he hasn't reached his first one yet."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tyrion wasn't quite right. Bronn just have reached Volantis. He comes down from the ship's stairs and looks around. Old Volantis. He knows his ways here and doesn't waste a second to move on. He strides forward, and from behind a woman with a masked face stares at him.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Podrick enters Bran's chamber and tells him Lord Gendry Baratheon of Storms End has come to pay him a visit. Bran nods.

Gendry: (bows) "I hope everything is going good, your grace. Do you need any help from me or my men in reconstructions of the city?"

Bran: "I will let you know. Thank you, for your offer."

Gendry: "Thank you, your grace." (bows but does not leave)

Bran: "Do you want to say something?"

Gendry: (hesitates) Your grace, if you do not mind, do you have any news or whereabouts of your sister?

Bran: "Sansa is ruling the North, she is.."

Gendry: (interrupts impatiently) "I wasn't asking about her. Pardon me your grace. I was asking about Lady Arya Stark."

Bran: "She is on a voyage on the sunset sea. She wants to find out what is west of Westeros."

Gendry: "That I know. But I mean, do you know her whereabouts? Like where she is now, how she is now, if she needs any help. I heard.. that you can see things."

Bran: "I will try to find her."

Gendry: "Thank you, your grace."

Bran: "Lord Gendry"

Gendry: "Yes, your grace."

Bran: "You were there working in King's Landing as a blacksmith when Qyburn started building the scorpions."

Gendry: "I was, your grace."

Bran: "And you know how they work and are made."

Gendry nods.

Bran: "Good. Can you help making better scorpions that can be more flexible and easier to move?"

Gendry is a little bit perplexed. He nods, but keeps on looking at Bran.

"I will" he said.

(End of Episode)


	4. The Lord's Will

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new leader of Whisperers gets recruited. Sansa proposes a new solution to the houses quarreling for lands. Bronn visits a brothel in Volantis and experience glamour. A group of slave Masters reach Braavos. Jon travels even farther North. Daenerys opens her eyes.

**A Realm of Gods and Men**  

_**Season 1: A Chronicle of Smoke and Salt** _

Episode 4: The Lord's Will

 

 

(Previously on A Realm of Gods and Men:

Arya Stark's fleet faces a deadly storm and the ship crashes in an Island of Dragon - one of the three Islands Elissa Farman discovered and named after Aegon, Visenya and Rhaenys. They attempt to repair their ships. Jon Snow travels to extreme North planning to map the Land of Always Winter and resettle freefolk in the changed weather. On his course he passes fist of first men and faces a storm at heart of winter. Brandon Stark sees Drogon landing in front of the red door of the red temple of Volantis and anticipates Daenerys may get revived. Little Sam learns about Dragonglass candles from Sam, who pleads Tyrion to send a Maester from citadel to aid Jon beyond the wall since Castle Black is without a Maester for long. Lord Gendry of Storms Land wants to know the whereabouts of Arya and visits Winterfell and King's Landing to know that, in the process helping them with trained smiths for reconstruction and weaponry. Tyrion sends the new Master of Coins Ser Bronn of the Blackwater across the narrow sea with multiple missions, to exterminate Daenerys if she is alive and to apply for more financial aid from the Iron Bank. Bronn reaches Volantis where Quaithe observes him from back.)

Tyrion is sitting in a newly reconstructed pub, with a mix of curiosity, disbelief and humor in his eyes. Bronn had given him a few contacts before he left, and none of them so far had impressed him, save this one. In front of him sits a young woman whose age is difficult to reveal, looking at him with sheer confidence and smirk.

Tyrion: So you say you have no documented proof for working as a whisperer anywhere before.

Mina: I don't keep proof of anything. My work is silent and secret, to even those who recruit me.

Tyrion: How do I know what you claim is true?

Mina: Ask me what you know then.

(Tyrion feels a little bit hesitant)

Mina: (in a seducing manner) How about playing a drinking game, me'Lord?

Tyrion looks at her doubtfully.

Mina: (in a seducing manner) I know your watch has not ended yet, me'Lord. (Pours wine, and gives it to Tyrion) Drink!

Tyrion: How do you know? I have never seen you anywhere around her, here or in the North.

Mina: Knowing, is my profession. Drink!

Tyrion smiles mischievously. He understands probably he is going to soon find a good match for, not a Maester, but a Mistress of Whisperers.

Tyrion: So tell me, what else do you know about Queen Sansa.

Mina looks at Tyrion with a long pause.

Mina: She is planning to take over the land beyond the wall.

Tyrion chokes while drinking.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sansa enters the Winterfell hall. Her entry will be shown beginning from focusing on her heels and later to her attire from back. She takes her seat and nods the lords and ladies to have their seats. After a few initial conversation, she gives a speech to the Northern nobles.

Sansa: My Lords, my ladies. For quite some time we have been discussing possession issues among our great houses of North, for those houses that left no heir. (She pauses and gives a look to all of them. The audience silently waits for something they are eager to hear)

I thought over the matter, and I see it is serious. Winter is over, but it left its damage over our people, livestock, grains and properties. We have to prosper again and spread. I appreciate that.

There is a source of property that we may have missed, and that is abundant, useful now. For eight thousand years the land beyond the wall was out of anyone's reach. It was dangerous, cold and infertile, habitats of wildlings and forests and jungles. Now that the Night King is defeated, we can take back the land. We can clean up the forests, make the land cultivable and useful. We Northerners can be richer than any other kingdoms. We will never have worries for food or wealth or properties."

(Sansa looks at her audience for appreciation. There is a murmur started. Lord Howland Reed stands.)

Lord Reed: If I beg your pardon, my queen, North is already the largest kingdom in Westeros. We have more lands than most other kingdoms combined. Why do we need so much more?

Sansa: Having a large land does not mean you can have more used, does it?

Lord Reed: But those lands, as I know my queen, belongs to the Night's Watch. Not just the land beyond the wall, the Gift and the New Gift all belongs to the Night's Watch from the day the dragons ruled. The Night's Watch was impoverished and dwindling, and to help and support them protect our realm the Targaryen kings allotted those lands to them.

Sansa feels irritated at the mention of Targaryens and dragons, so much heard for their good deeds.

Sansa: Night's Watch is an order that is no longer needed. The army of the dead are defeated. What will they protect us from?

Lord Reed: But your brother Jon Snow is still at Night's Watch. He has unified the Wildlings with the Night's Watch. The entire land beyond the wall belongs to them, not just the gifts and the new gifts. And we have to honor the old pact that we must not cut down the trees and leave them for the children of the forest..

Sansa's irritation reaches at maximum point.

Sansa: If you have kindly finished, my Lord, we do not need to concern ourselves about whatever pact there was thousands of years ago. The children of the forest are gone, they are no longer there. The trees that we call our Gods could not help us in our miseries or our wars, my abusive sham marriage was there in the front of the weirwood, and the tree stood there and listened and did nothing. For the good of the realm I had to even give a false promise in front a weirwood, did my tongue fall off?

(The murmur starts and raises higher, with some supporting her, and some disapproving.)

Lord Glover: May be the Lord of the marshlands is worried about his jungles and bogs to get cleaned up as well.

(Northern Lords laugh at Lord Reed cruelly. He feels embarrassed and sits down)

Sansa: We need those lands, that is my decision, and my decision is final.

She stands up. The court is dismissed for today.

\----------------------------------------------------------------

Sansa walks toward her chambers. Lord Howland Reed comes behind her apologetically.

Lord Reed: If I have offended you my queen, I am sorry.

Sansa: You were opposing my words in public. When you do that, you undermine me.

Lord Reed: Pardon me my queen. I did not mean to undermine you. But good kings and queens listen to opinions they may or may not like. Lord Bolton used to feed whoever is against him to his hounds.

Sansa turns back.

Sansa: Do you think I am a Bolton?

Lord Reed: You are as far from him as anyone I know.

Sansa: Thank you.

Lord Reed: My queen, I have fought with your father. I have followed him into battles. I have camped together with your uncle Benjen and Lord Brandon and your aunt Lyanna in the Tourney of Harrenhal. I have seen your family get destroyed. There were some terrible mistakes. I do not want my queen to repeat any such mistake.

Sansa: And how do I avoid such mistakes? By listening to you?

Howland Reed stands there stunned as Sansa moves into her chambers. Then he turns around and decides his duty. He has made up his mind.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

Tyrion and Bran are discussing in Bran's chamber.

Bran: So you are confident about this lady?

Tyrion: If you have a doubt, your grace, you can look into her past.

Bran: I do not deem it as appropriate looking into people's personal life unless otherwise absolutely needed for a crime.

Tyrion pauses.

Tyrion: I was not sure until today, until I got this raven from Lord Howland Reed.

Bran: Lord Howland Reed, he is Meera's father.

Tyrion: You know him? Or trust him?

Bran: I do not know him. But I know his son and daughter. They saved my life, more than once. And their father saved my father's life. He is a good man.

Tyrion: If what he tells is the truth, then your sister is planning to invade the land beyond the wall and cut down the forests and trees to cultivate them and allot the land to Northern houses.

Bran has a pause.

Bran: What does that have to do with this lady.

Tyrion: It has something to do with. She told me the same thing a couple of days back. It proves her qualifications if not anything else.

Bran pauses again.

Bran: Did she tell you how she knew it.

Tyrion: No, the whisperers keep their trade secret. All of them.

Bran: Alright. Recruit her then. My only concern was she has worked in brothels before.

Tyrion: She may have. But I do not see how working in a brothel before can be a disqualification for a job of Mistress of Whisperers. Besides, how do you know she has worked in brothels if you did not look at her personal life?

Bran looks at Tyrion with hard eyes.

Tyrion: Your grace.

Bran's looks slowly soften.

Bran: It is a matter of importance, we have to recruit a trustworthy master or mistress of whisperer. (After a pause) You can recruit her.

Tyrion nods, but keeps on looking at Bran suspiciously. Bran reads it.

Bran: I did not peek into her past. Podrick told me, about her. He knows her.

Tyrion understands now.

Tyrion: Thank you your grace. Another news, Ser Bronn has reached Volantis.

Bran: That was your plan, your decision. It will not help. But you can try if you wish.

Tyrion stares at Bran, then nods.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bronn didn't need much time to choose from the girls. In the brothel there were girls cosplaying as Daenerys, as Lion Queen and also with new red-haired fashions. Bronn knew his choice, he was with two Dornish girls now in a room. They whispered while in foreplay.

Girl 1: I know you like Dornish girls, don't you?

Bronn: I do.

Girl 2: You sang a song about a Dornishman's wife. And you sing pretty well too.

Bronn: How do you know that?

Girl 1: Will tell you, but first you have to tell me, who is the most beautiful girl in the world.

Bronn is taken aback a little bit.

Girl 2: You want a good woman

Girl 1: (giggles) but you need a bad pussy.

Bronn gets up and sits away from the girls.

Bronn: who are you?

The girls giggle and look into each other. Rubies flash in the necklaces they wore together and they begin to move around Bronn in a circle, while Bronn notices their looks changed.

Girl 1, who now looks like Daenerys Targaryen, circles Bronn around.

Girl 1: We are no one, but you are Ser Bronn of the Blackwater.

Girl 2, who now also looks like Daenerys, circles Bronn around as well.

Girl 2: You have come to kill me, Ser Bronn, didn't you?

Girl 1: Or us

Girl 2: Or her

Girl 1: The dragon queen.

Bronn sweats and tries to find his sword.

Girl 2: Go on, draw your sword, test its strength.

Girl 1: You are afraid, Ser Bronn of Blackwater, Lord Paramount of the Highgarden and the Reach?

Girl 2: If you are not her enemy, you have nothing to fear from us.

The girls leave the room. Bronn feels relieved as if like waking up from a nightmare. He gets dressed quickly, understanding his mission failed here, he has to leave for Braavos as soon as he can.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A boat gets anchored in the port of Braavos. A group of slave masters walk towards the Iron Bank.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tycho Nestoris is unimpressed. The slave masters keep on trying to explain the situation.

Yezzan: You have to understand it. The dragon queen is no more.

Tycho: How do you know that?

Yezzan: It is known. The person who killed her was sent to take the black as punishment.

Tycho: And has anyone seen her body?

Yezzan: No.

Tycho: Has there been any rituals for her death?

Yezzan: No.

Tycho: And she destroyed an entire city, the King's Landing, alone, with only one dragon. And they had scorpions and ballistic weapons that could do nothing.

Yezzan: She had a large army with her as well.

Tycho: As long as our reports tell, that army did not have to do anything, she did the entire job herself and cleared the path of the army so they did not even have to face Cersei Lannister's Wildfire tricks. Sorry! To our judgement, there is no proof that she is not alive, and no security if we fund you again and she destroys your city or fleet rending you bankrupt.

The Masters look at each other.

Yezzan: We are considering a potential partner, who could help us in finding and taking care of her.

Tycho looks with question.

Yezzan: And he resides in this very city.

Tycho smiles.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They have lost count of days now. Even Jon. A group of freefolk have left for their ancestral hardhome, refusing to travel farther North. But he knows he has to keep going.

"But what will this map help in?" Tormund asked. "We know there is no end to it."

"There is an end of course. It has to." Jon replied, "This land is not endless."

"And how do you know that?"

"My friend Sam read it in a book."

"The fat one?" Tormund retorted, "And how did the book know that the world is not endless. Did the book travel North?"

"No, but the book writer had" Jon was about to answer, but then he stopped. He knows that was not right. Nobody ever ventured so far North. There must be some other ways those Maesters know, may be with some magic, or may be with some tools or equipment that they make. He did not know, but he knew that he can trust Sam. "The same way the books knew there was dragonglass in Dragonstone".

There was no answer better than that. So Tormund had to change subject.

"Dragonglass, Dragonstone, Dragon Queen, all that dragon stuff that helped you. You even rode in one. She saved your life three times you said. And in the end you got to kill her. Why?"

That is a question Jon is never comfortable to answer, something in his mind has always left a question about it, was it the best way? Yes it was, it has to be, because it is done.

"She went mad."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"I think I know"

"You know?"

"Yes, I know. She wanted to fuck you."

"What?"

"Yes, the way she looked at you, it was like Ygritte. She loved you, like Ygritte did."

"That was never possible."

"Why not? Because you are a stupid little crow? Because you swore a stupid vow that you could not keep but could not tell people as well?"

"Stop it."

"Why? You fucked up two girls' life for your stupid vow."

"I told you to stop it"

Tormund stops.

"You know nothing" Jon said, biting his teeth.

Tormund smiles, and then follows him.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Far away, in the other side of the narrow sea, at Volantis, a dragon screech tore off the silence of night from afar. The red priests praying decided they have done their best, and there is nothing else that they can do. One after another left the chamber, keeping her body cold and alone.

"Everything is the Lord's Will" said each one of them in Valyrian before leaving the group.

"Everything is the Lord's Will" the rest of them praying repeated.

When the last one left. There was no one left to repeat it. But the dragon screeched again, not from very far away now mayhaps. Even Daenerys could hear that.

Do dragons cry? Daenerys doesn't know. She never had let Drogon cry, but she did confine Rhaegal and Viserion. May be that is why they had to die? _May be that is my fault too_?

Daenerys cannot tell. She cannot tell many things. She cannot remember, or she does. There was a tall khal, Drogo, who was entering her now, or then, or always, or forever. She was looking at her dragon eggs, and a handsome warrior came, fucked her, pushing Drogo away. Then called her a fishbed. She left him, yes, she did. That was her fault too, perhaps everything, every single thing was her fault.

She cannot tell. She cannot tell many things. She cannot remember, or she does. A loving, caring, aged face, whom she could call a friend, but never could love. He was smiling, dying, in her lap. Dany cried and cried but the guy did not wake up. Another handsome, beautiful man pushed him away and burnt him. Men always push one another away, why? Not just men, women also do. _Did I ever push any women away from anybody I loved_.

She cannot tell. She cannot tell many things. She cannot remember, or she does. Her little friend, a little girl whom she saved from slavery, whose hair she used to dress and who used to dress her hair, and they held hands together when those harpy faces attacked them. That girl whose life she saved when the handsome warrior attacked and threatened to kill if she shouts. She asked to let the little girl go first, he did. But they didn't, they cut the little girl's head. Her body was flying, above a cursed land, fell in a garden of bones. Dany blinked in pain.

Then she saw the man, the little handsome beautiful man, whose hand she held in a boat. For whom she went beyond the wall, like in the house of undying, who promised her a child. "Has it ever occurred to you she might not be a reliable source of information" he said. A dream. A dream of a home, a dream of a life, a dream of love, a dream of spring. Now that's all shattered, shattered and melted into pieces, _for the throne_.

" _A khal does not need a chair_ " all the men came close and told her, and then they pushed a knife to her heart.

Dany woke up, gasping.

(End of Episode)


	5. The Archer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daenerys is revealed to be at a vegetative state after her revival. Mina is introduced to the small council meeting as new Mistress of Whisperers, revealing among other information important details regarding countryside remnants of the Brotherhood without Banners, Gendry plans to meet one of them at Dornish Marches on his way back to the Stormlands. Sansa reconsiders her plans, and instead reach a consensus with the Northern Lords that they will take over the New Gift first rather then venturing into North of the Wall at this moment. A ship is planned to sail from Flint's Finger to follow Arya Stark's fleet since no ravens so far returned from her. While attempting to find suitable woods for ship reconstruction at the Isles of Dragon, Arya finds a cave with some messages. Jon Snow encounters strange stones that cling to Longclaw and Tormund explains these to be lodestones, as they approach a frozen sea near the North Pole and get attacked by a pack of hellhounds.

**A Realm of Gods and Men**  

 _ **Season 1: A Chronicle of Smoke and Salt**_  

Episode 5: The Archer

 

  
  
(Previously on A Realm of Gods and Men:

Arya Stark's fleet faces a deadly storm and the ship crashes in an Island of Dragon - one of the three Islands Elissa Farman discovered and named after Aegon, Visenya and Rhaenys. They attempt to repair their ships, Jon Snow travels to extreme North planning to map the Land of Always Winter and resettle freefolk in the changed weather. On his course he passes fist of first men and heart of winter, experiencing dreams, memories and sudden attacks from storms. Sansa Stark plans to expand Northern Kingdom to include Land of Always Winter by claiming it back from Night's Watch. Brandon Stark sees Drogon landing in front of the red door of the red temple of Volantis and anticipates Daenerys may get revived. Little Sam learns about Dragonglass candles from Sam, who pleads Tyrion to send a Maester from citadel to aid Jon beyond the wall since Castle Black is without a Maester for long. Lord Gendry of Storms Land wants to know the whereabouts of Arya and visits Winterfell and King's Landing to know that, in the process helping them with trained smiths for reconstruction and weaponry. Tyrion sends the new Master of Coins Ser Bronn of the Blackwater across the narrow sea with multiple missions, to exterminate Daenerys if she is alive and to apply for more financial aid from the Iron Bank. Red Priests of Volantis after a lot of attempts could bring back Daenerys to life. Quaithe follows Daenerys's course and sees Ser Bronn reach Volantis. Kinvara sends two Red Priests glamored as sex workers to scare Ser Bronn away with their glamour magic.)

The Red Door opens.

Quaithe enters surrounded by two fiery hands and approaches Kinvara in the prayer hall where she awaits her with twelve other red priests. They speak in High Valyrian.

Quaithe: My greetings, the highness first servant of the Lord, the night is dark and full of terrors.

Kinvara: The night is over by the Lord's will. But the Lord's promised one is at peril. Thank you for letting us know about her assassin, our priests took good care of him.

Quaithe: May I see her?

Kinvara nods. They go to the chamber where Daenerys is kept.

Her hair was trimmed down for sacrifice to fire, the wounds were cleaned, and she got worn a red robe. From her bed Dany looked to the ceiling with an empty stare in her eyes. Nothing were there in those eyes, no emotions, no hatred, no love. Quaithe touched her and looked at Kinvara.

Quaithe: How long?

Kinvara: A fortnight. Since then, she has not moved. We had to feed her only juices, and she had to be cleaned by the servants of light.

Quaithe: She has severe poisoning apart from her wounds. Smells like Basilisk, it melts the mind. I know of a mage in Asshai who have the antidote.

Kinvara: Can you bring him here?

Quaithe: He does not serve the Lord of Light I am afraid. But may be we can take her to there.

Kinvara: Very well (nods to the fiery hands, and looks at Quaithe again). Prepare her for the journey through the doom of Valyria.

Quaithe nods. A servant of light brings an Auroch's head. She gets down to business and starts drawing spiral patterns on the back of Dany's body with the blood of the Auroch.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Out in the port, Bronn boards a ship for Braavos

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The slave Masters along with Tycho sits with Jaqen inside the house of black and white.

Jaqen: You have come to the wrong place. A man has nothing to offer to slave traders. This is a free city founded by the faceless men who freed slaves from the mines of Valyria, and you want now help in your business?

Yezzan: We will pay you well, (looks at Tycho), the iron bank is with us. We can pay you whatever you want.

 

Tycho nods.

Jaqen looks back to the slave Masters.

Jaqen: The price must be paid in advance.

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Tyrion: In advance? This is the small council of the King, you understand that? Our previous Master of Whisperer never wanted his remunerations in advance. This is the first time I am hearing it.

Mina: And it is the first time you are seeing a Mistress of Whisperer in a small council meeting. It is your duty make sure that it is not the last time.

Tyrion hopelessly looks at Bran. The small council meeting today is a bit different. There is the new mistress, and there is a guest, Gendry has come to present a report of his task.

Bran: Why do you need it in advance?

Mina: I have to pay my workers. They will bring you news you will not get from anywhere else. From Dorne to Winterfell. From Summer Isles to Qarth. News you do not care for but may be important.

Bran: Such as?

Mina: The remaining brothers of the brotherhood without banners. What they are doing, where they are now. They can turn useful for you.

Gendry: Can you tell where is Anguy now?

Mina: He is at the Dornish Marches now, back to his own village, teaching children his skills and singing them Marcher ballads.

Gendry: (looks at Bran and Tyrion) He can be useful. He was the best archer I have ever seen. I can ask him to join force on my way back to Storm's End.

Tyrion: (nothing too negative, but still with skepticism) And could you tell, Lady Mina, what would you be able to see that our King does not?

Mina: Whatever our King does not want to. I am sure he does not deem it as appropriate looking into people's personal life. And that is where my workers are always active.

Tyrion uncomfortably looks at Bran. Bran thinks a bit, then nods to Tyrion.

Tyrion: Very well. You will get your each moon's remunerations as advance.

Mina smiles victoriously.

Tyrion: Welcome to the small council, Lady Mina .. may I ask the name of your father.

Mina: You wouldn't know him.

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I know him from my childhood. We have grown up together. He would not disagree in the changed circumstances."

Sansa thought the assertion would put the hum in silence, but it does not.

"My queen, pardon me, but it always seemed to me that he tended to prefer following his own decision always." Lord Manderly points, "Now that he is in Night's Watch again, I do not think it is very likely that he will agree to give up the entire land beyond the wall from the jurisdiction to Night's Watch.

Sansa thinks carefully. Lord Manderly is right, and after everything that happened so far a collision with Jon would be the last thing she expects, when already her succession plans have come to grapevine talks as she heard from reliable sources.

"Alright. We can instead go for the New Gift for now. I do not think the Night's Watch will worry about it now anymore after they have secured the vast land beyond the wall."

Seems like most of the North agree to that now, the nodded and thumped their fists on the table.

"We will send our message to Castle Black then, and await Jon's reply" She looks at Maester Wolkan and he nods. Sansa stands up, the meeting is adjourned for today. On her way back to her chamber some lords will approach him now and will ask for something of their own interest, she knew it, that happens every time.

"I never thought I would miss my sister this much ever." she told herself. "Do we have a news yet from Arya" she uttered looking at nobody.

"No my queen, not yet." Maester Wolkan replied.

"Send a ship looking for her from Flint's Finger. And tell them to take ravens with them."

"Sure your grace." Maester Wolkan nodded and left. Sansa looks over the empty corridors they used to walk and talk and quarrel with each other.

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There were nuts and fruits delicious in the trees of the islands, the fruits that Arya could not recognize, they do not have these in Westeros. It wasn't fruits she was after at the moment anyway. Rather for other kind of foods and woods. The cook from the ship is severely injured, and she had to take up the task of arranging food for the crew, two of them helping her. She shot a wild pig on her way and had her helpers carry it over to the crew for preparing. Now she was looking for an oak for repairing the keel and some cedar or pine for the damaged plank. It can be tricky finding the right tree you need in an unknown forest, but she had the gift for the toying with unknowns from her childhood.

She marked two oaks and a pine, a cedar and a larch and then on her way back, something caught her eye.

The common tongue.

It was etched in a stone in the mouth of a what looked like an entry to a cave in the hill, somewhat deep in the wood, away from sunshine and the stream, away from corrosion. Written with something sharp, the letters, and an arrow indicating the entrance to the cave.

"Sun chasers' den"

She quickly went back near the stream to find some flint and firesteel and came back there collecting dry leaves and branches on her way, took a few minutes to light a fire and some kind of a torch, and entered the cave.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Winds were going strong and harsh and colder as they kept moving North, as far as no known traveler probably could have ever reached. The remaining freefolk got exhausted, so was Tormund, or Ghost, or Jon himself. But they kept on moving.

One day climbing a land uphill suddenly Longclaw got stuck in a stone. "Lodestones" Tormund explained. "They have magic. Catches iron and steel. Our bronze weapons are safer and seldom gets caught in them.".

"Never heard about it" Jon admitted.

"You wouldn't. Winterfell is far from seas. These rocks are fewer far from seas."

"Does it mean we are nearing a sea?"

"May be."

A frozen sea it was. They noticed in the evening when they heard ice cracking sounds as they walked. Jon decided they should camp here without attempting further for now, and marked the spot on his map.

 

"If I had a raven, and a Maester, could have let Sam know of these discoveries. He could make something out of it." But there was no Maester, and Jon's thoughts lying went from Sam to Castle Black to Winterfell before when he was a kid. And he couldn't remember when he fell asleep.

 

He remembered though Tormund violently shaking him, the tents getting torn. Eyes violent and yellow and large. His calling Ghost, and with him running, running to a destination he does not know, through a land he does not know, until ice cracked beneath their feet and they drowned. The hellhounds chasing them barked for a while, and then went back.

(End of episode)


	6. The Price

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon Snow gets fully detached from companions after being drowned in the frozen sea, and later gets rescued by a Skagosi tribe. Morag (late Craster's seniormost ex-wife) recognizes him. It appears that Morag and rest of the wives of Craster traveled North and joined this wandering tribe getting married to the tribesmen. Bran watches Arya reading some scrolls inside a cave, and assumes she reached her destination West of Westeros, meanwhile Arya recovers journals of Elissa Farman. In a Braavosi inn, Bronn overhears the slave Maesters that the price someone demanded from them for killing Dany is impossible and will require them to travel to Asshai to seek and purchase three dragon's egg which is a risky journey. Bronn offers them his service doing their job procuring the egg from Asshai if they pay him a million gold dragons. Mina informs the council that Jon's team who left Castle Black northwards never came back, and Tyrion plans to dispatch letters to Citadel and Sansa informing the news and requesting to aid Jon with a Maester and soldiers if possible. In Meeren, while cleaning up the underground room where Rhaegal and Viserion were kept, a janitor discovers a clutch of dragon eggs containing three eggs.

**A Realm of Gods and Men**  

 _ **Season 1: Chronicles of Smoke and Salt**_  

Episode 6: The Price 

 

 

  
  
(Previously on A Realm of Gods and Men:

Arya Stark's fleet faces a deadly storm and the ship crashes in an Island of Dragon - one of the three Islands Elissa Farman discovered and named after Aegon, Visenya and Rhaenys. They attempt to repair their ships, while Arya discovers a cave.

Jon Snow travels to extreme North planning to map the Land of Always Winter and resettle freefolk in the changed weather. On his course he passes fist of first men and heart of winter and reaches near the frozen arctic sea, experiencing dreams, memories and sudden attacks from storms and hellhounds.

Sansa Stark plans to expand Northern Kingdom to include Land of Always Winter by claiming it back from Night's Watch, but later decides on taking back the New Gift at first.

Brandon Stark sees Drogon landing in front of the red door of the red temple of Volantis and anticipates Daenerys may get revived. He also sees Arya in the cave of Isles of Dragon and assumes she has reached land West of Westeros. Little Sam learns about Dragonglass candles from Sam, who pleads Tyrion to send a Maester from citadel to aid Jon beyond the wall since Castle Black is without a Maester for long.

Lord Gendry of Storms Land wants to know the whereabouts of Arya and visits Winterfell and King's Landing to know that, in the process helping them with trained smiths for reconstruction and weaponry. New Mistress of Whisperers Mina tells the council the status of remaining members of Brotherhood without Banners so that they can be now brought to order and use now that is no tyranny. Gendry says he will approach Anguy who is now teaching children archery and writing ballads in the Marches of Dorne, on his way back to Storm Lands.

Tyrion sends the new Master of Coins Ser Bronn of the Blackwater across the narrow sea with multiple missions, to exterminate Daenerys if she is alive and to apply for more financial aid from the Iron Bank.

Red Priests of Volantis after a lot of attempts could bring back Daenerys to life, but it is a vegetative life. Quaithe follows Daenerys's course and sees Ser Bronn reach Volantis, warns the High Priest Kinvara, who sends two Red Priests to scare Ser Bronn away with their glamour magic. Quaithe later visits the red temple, diagnosing Daenerys to have severe poisoning with Basilisk's blood that destroys the mind and induces madness. She tells the only antidote is known by a sorcerer in Asshai, and Kinvara asks her to take Daenerys to him with two firy hands accompanying. Ser Bronn leaves to Braavos on his second mission for acquiring a loan from Iron Bank but is unable to convince Tycho.

Meanwhile, hearing Daenerys has died, surviving slave masters group back together and ask from Iron Bank loan again to reconstruct their armies and fleets to take back the Dragon's Bay. Tycho is unconvinced of Daenerys's death reports and the masters try to make use of faceless men to find and kill Daenerys if she is alive. Jaqen initially refuses slave traders, but after realizing Iron Bank is supporting them, he asks an yet undisclosed amount of advance payment for the job.)

"She was looking at me, died looking at my face."

"The others take her eyes." Robb swore, "She died well. Race you to the bridges?"

"Done," Jon said, kicking his horse forward. Robb cursed and followed. and Jon galloped off down the trail. The horse's hooves kept up showers of snow as it went, went on and on and on, and suddenly Jon noticed he is alone, not with his brother, not with Ned, not with Bran, not with anyone. He was standing in front of that strange castle, "I am lost, I am lost." he murmured.

"Lost und found" said somebody he does not know, from far away, no, not from far away, nearby. Some voice coarse and harsh he did not want to hear.

But he had to, because the laughter that followed was even coarser and cruel. Laughters. There were more men than one, Jon tried to listen and distinguish and count keeping his eyes closed, is that even possible? May be not, but he has to, because he could not move. He is tied up head to toe, and probably being carried in some sledge making crackling noises. Not pulled by horses. He heard barking sounds now and then, are those dogs pulling the sledges? Those hounds? May be not. He is captive anyway. The longer he tries to pretend he is senseless and listens to their conversation, the better chance he has for survival.

"Say is-a lad of south, lik'a lord o some castle."

"Is a, Little lord."

"All o them little."

"But is a smol, lotto smol, teeny lord."

Jon could not understand the accent very well. Are they large men? Giants cannot talk. Is that Ibbenese tongue? He couldn't tell, and it is not safe to look or open eye before knowing more. Jon kept on pretending. He is good at that, he thought. He pretended for moons that he had forgone Night's Watch and joined the freefolk, and Ygritted got fooled. He pretended that he was about to kiss and then stabbed Dany. "Why can't I stop thinking about her?" He thought.

"She was mad. MAD. Very much mad." He tried to think. "She burnt Varys in front of me. She told me to keep my ancestry a secret. She burnt hundreds and thousands of innocent people in King's Landing. She was mad and EVIL." He kept on telling himself silently. "An evil queen, an evil Targaryen, dragonrider. She could burn the entire Westeros. Mistress of evil." Jon tried to think. The more he tried, the more vague Dany's face became, wasn't Dany anymore, it was someone else or something else unrecognizable like a hastily drawn scarecrow. "Who or what was it?" Jon was unconscious again.

Traitor, they wrote, were they right? He had to betray the freefolk before he favored them later. He had to betray Ygritte. He had to betray Dany. A boy came forward to him, with a knife in his hand. Olly. "For the throne" Olly hissed. "That is not right", Jon thought, "Olly forgot what he was supposed to say". What was he supposed to say? Jon couldn't remember. Olly's face now looked like the Night King, Jon knew he is supposed to kill him, but he could not move. The ice of Night King's face looked like an icy hill. "You cannot kill the ice." a known voice whispered to him, whose voice? His little brother's? "Because the ice is you".

Jon tried to open his eyes, ice, on his lids. He tried to shake his head to move that off. He was born of ice and snow. His name, Ygritte told the name is evil. Why? He tried to shake his head. He could not. Apparently his head is tied, as is whole body, to something uneven. Jon tried to touch it with fingers, a tree. From his front several people are looking at him, the men were large built, as was a women. Two other women there were who weren't as tall as them. And he knew one of them.

'Morag' he uttered.

'Yes, Ser Crow. How did you get here?' Morag replied.

'Ya know him?' One of the large men asked.

'Yes. He saved us, all of us, and offered us shelter.' Morag said. She didn't accept the offer though, Jon remembered, rather she told they will have their own way after burning Craster's keep.

The large man gestured to the rest of the people. They untied Jon, and he fell to ground immediately. Pain was all over his body. Morag and the other women ran to him, and carried him away.

\------------------------------

Jon finally regained his full consciousness in a weird room that shone like a crystal in the candle light. It took some time before he understood that the room was made of ice. It is supposed to be cold, but it was not that cold somehow. And he was not in bond as well.

Should he get up, and go out, and run?

Apparently, he could not. The feet and his body were too sore in pain and almost immobile. Besides, somebody entered that ice room, covered in furs of some animal woven into a jacket far heavier than the ones they wore in Winterfell.

It was Morag, of course. She paused for a moment seeing his eyes open, and whistled. Two other women entered shortly, one of them a large one. They came close to him.

"You ok now?"

Jon could not tell. There was pain all over his body, how could he be? His head was numb, thinking took some time and effort as if he was moving a muscle.

 

"You will be. You are tough Ser Crow. Not that you look like one."

Jon nodded. One of the women went away and came back shortly with a bowl of soup. Morag took it and the other two pulled him to sit, his bones felt like they were about to crack, but he endured it once he could sit. Morag gave him the bowl to sip from.

"What is it?" The first words Jon could tell her.

"Something you need. Drink." Morag drank a sip herself to give him confidence. Jon tried, but threw up whatever he took in, not because of the taste. Because inside him it was all dry.

They cleaned him. Then the large woman lifted him like a child, and gently put him in the bed. Jon didn't want to miss the care and comfort he never had for so long, he closed his eyes, and fell asleep in moments.

\------------------------------

Podrick woke up halfway through falling asleep, snoring, and suppressed his snore quickly. The king went, too bad if he got distracted, Podrick didn't understand the process well but it seemed to him always that almost nothing can distract the king when he goes 'warging' - whatever that means. The whole world may fall apart but Bran would be in his green dreams unperturbed, so it seemed. Podrick tried to measure how long it had been, and then noticed Ser Brienne was standing just behind him, looking at him strongly, and then he realized why he woke up.

His attempt to apologize in gestures did little to soften Ser Brienne's scorning look, he should not have fallen asleep within duty. However, the irritation could make her look away from him to Bran to Podrick's relief, who was still warging after hours, trying to find his sister.

\------------------------------

"  
....  
Day 9.

The plank could be repaired at last. Now to make some tar from the wood left and paint it with is all that remains. If we are lucky we can set sail again on or before next moon. Yesterday Lambert was bitten by one of those lizards and will not make it, his wounds have festered and nothing we know could stop that."

The cave was hollow in the mouth but had huge room when one crawls inside. They probably had temporary shelters here when they passed the island. Among many other leftovers Arya found notes written on stone plates, some old rags, a dirty old coin that lost its design and color and shape, and pieces of rock seemingly out of place, dragonglass rocks that she saw Gendry to work with. Elissa have been in Dragonstone for some time in her life, she heard from the sailors, may be she collected it from there. But what made her carry those rocks so far away with her? Did they know the problem with the others? Did they know the solution? Or is that useful for some other purpose?

One purpose made sense though. Each night when everyone fell asleep, Arya would go out of their camp, ventured into the cave alone, and studied the notes and other stuff she found. One night her torch was low, and instead of trying the flints and firesteels on the wood she mistakenly tried with a piece of dragonglass rock and firesteel in the dark. After many attempts there was a fire, but not the typical one she knew. The dragonglass rock began burning with a very bright flame, bright and charming. The flame was so bright that the whole cave was lightened like it was daytime. And the shadow beneath the burning rock looked like a hole in the earth. A black hole.

Arya fell asleep that night, and strange dreams she had. In one of the dreams she saw herself beginning journey years ago, in the Braavosi ship, looking at the smoke of the tower of Saltpans from where she started her trip. In another one she saw Jaqen, asking three dragon eggs for the price of an assignment. The dreams went on, she saw Anguy teaching a kid to relax his bow arm, a table in King's Landing where her brother, Tyrion, Gendry, Brienne and Ser Davos was sitting with a woman with hexagon designs all over her robe. Even inside the dream she tried to see if Gendry is looking at the woman, but he seemed rather preoccupied with a paper design he had at hand of some kind of weapon, isn't he missing her then that much? She saw a child, looked like Gilly's child, watching over a flame. Sansa closing her eyes as if in the weight of the crown, is she ok? And at last she saw Jon drowning in an ice cold frozen sea, and she woke up gasping.

 

"Day 11

Eustace is a coward. I saved his life and escorted his ship to the Island and helped repair it, and now he has shown his back. Cannot blame him really, he has got a family and a wife and children, only that he seems to forget that occasionally when he tries his ways. Wish I had kept one egg at least. No matter if it allowed me to ride or not at least could dracarys when I needed.

One of the stewards tried some kind of clover he found on the island that he calls Bird's foot with garlic on the wound, and looks like Lambert is improving. Need to take a load of it before we sail."

That's probably methiana as they call it in Braavosi, Arya thought, did Lady Crane use it on the holes she made? Remembering her made Arya a bit sad, Lady Crane would have been happy to see her finally sail west of Westeros, she would have understood. She went back to reading the rest.

"Day 12

List of things to take with..."

 

\------------------------------

Bran returned from his warging. The sun was not still high, and morning birds still did not stop chirping at the Kingswood. Ser Brienne was still standing there, she knew the King went looking for his sister this time, and Podrick noted the concealed worried looks in her face. Probably she cared much more for Arya than she would let show. "She would", Podrick thought, "Ser Brienne never forgot her vows even after she was released, and she once fought for Lady Arya." He still remembers the fight.

Bran looked at them. He saw something, that was obvious, but Podrick did not understand the confusion in his eyes.

"Arya reached a land west of westeros." Bran said, "She is at a cave now, sleeping safely."

"And?" Brienne noticed the confusion in Bran's eyes as well.

"And somehow it is not dawn there yet." Bran said slowly, as if still trying to figure out why.

 

\------------------------------

Sun was high in the sky of Braavos, and Bronn tried to think what he will explain to the council. Both of his missions failed. He is not a man with a gift of the gab, could not convince it well to the Iron Bank about how they will be able to repay now that the royal currency reserves are down to nil and they have one kingdom less to collect tax from. Wish he had one of the talkers with him, Tyrion or Ser Davos.

But Bronn was sincere to any task he accepted. He still kept on thinking how he still can manage the fund, and how he still can ensure the Dragon Queen is dead. May be the half man is right, may be he needs more drinks to know. All he knew is it is now impossible.

"All I know that it is impossible now." somebody spoke his mind in a low voice nearby. Bronn tried to listen and map the people without looking at them directly. They were at the corner table in the pub, clad in harpish yellow garbs. They were trying to keep their voice low, but at the same time they were excited as well. And Bronn as always had his auditory senses much clearer than most people, be it Dothraki screams, or be it hushed down conversations.

"It is difficult, but not impossible."

"Go ahead, try it yourself then."

"We cannot risk ourselves going there. But first we have to be sure that we are thinking about the correct place."

"If you don't get it in Asshai, you won't get it anywhere else in the world."

"Suppose we get the eggs. How can we be sure what will be the price? How can we be sure that Tycho will give us the excess amount?"

"He promised that. Iron Bank is difficult to convince, but once they promise to pay, they do not break it."

"And why will we need his promise if we get three eggs? Why will we need to pay the men without faces?"

"What will you do instead? Hatch the eggs? People have tried for five thousand years, nobody except for Valyrians could do that ever."

"Can we get a Valyrian for a slave?"

"There is only one, her, and that is whom we have to kill to get funds ensured."

"So we are in the middle of nowhere again."

"Not really, we just need to figure out who will go to find and buy eggs for us from Asshai."

"Send him, he is an outsider, lowborn."

"Me? No."

"Why send one among us. Give some good sellsword a third of the price cash. They will do."

"He is not one of us."

Bronn decided. It was getting too much fun not to interrupt. And he could get the money, and he could ensure the girl gets killed.

"Thought you are looking for lowborns."

"Who are you?"

"You wouldn't know me. But tell me, you need three dragon eggs to buy. And you are looking for lowborns to get the job done for you?"

The slave masters look at each other.

"Yes" quickly replied Yezzan, almost relieved that a replacement for him could be found so swift.

"But how do we trust you?"

Bronn threw his highgarden sigil to the table. There is your guarantee. The masters looked at each other.

"Have a seat, Lord.."

"Ser Bronn of the Blackwater, Lord Paramount of the Highgarden and the Reach."

"What is your price, Ser?"

"A million gold dragons" claimed Bronn. "And you have to keep your cunt mouths shut."

 

\------------------------------

"Any news for the Maester of Coins?" Ser Davos asked. "We have plenty of stuff withheld or postponed for the current shortfalls. The port will be rendered unusable soon if we do not dredge out all the flotsam and the sunken ships."

"I have presented the design and explained it to the smiths. Now they are waiting for fund to start. I cannot wait for that to happen, need to leave." Gendry explained.

"He is making a way." Tyrion said defensively.

"A rather dangerous way." Mina cut in.

The council fell silent. Sam, trying to steal talks so long but getting interrupted every time by other people not as gentle as him, finds his opportunity now.

"Do we have any update about funds for the Maester to send to Castle Black?"

"We will arrange it and pay them later. I will write the instructions, and also to Sansa if she can help." Tyrion replied.

"But they are not at Castle Black. Nobody returned yet." Mina informed.

"Where are they now?"

"No news. Apparently they passed fist of the first man nearly a moon ago."

 

\------------------------------

Jon was recovering fast in the care and comfort that he was never used to in his whole life. All of the Craster's ex-wives visited him whenever they had scopes, brought some frozen nuts or cooked fish or whatever they could manage for him whenever they could. To them he was a true savior, the kind of male they have never seen in their life, an angel of a man.

Some of them asked him about Gilly, and about Sam, and about Gilly's child, and if she was happy, and about how many wives Sam have. Jon tried to entertain the questions as long as his health afforded. And his health was improving.

The large men and women talked to him occasionally as well. They were more of curious. They were a Skagosi tribe, Jon knew by now, got locked in this mainland long ago, now roaming free and exploring extreme North that dead people's threat are no longer there. They rescued Morag and the other wives on their journey North, and took them as their wives. They learnt a lot from him, and he learnt a lot from them.

"Which a land you go teeny Lord?"

"North"

"Is a North."

"I want to go further. I want to see what lies beyond."

"No land is a beund, only sea, ice sea. You go ice see. You foll. Leviathan eat teeny Lord."

The large woman said. By now Jon knew she was a girl in her seventeen. Already nearly as tall as Ser Brienne. Jon wished Tormund was with him, he wanted to make giant babies with the big woman. Where is he? Where is ghost?

"Have you seen my companions? One with a red beard? And a white direwolf?"

"No see teeny Lord. Und water maybee. Leviathan eat ol."

Leviathan eating all was the easiest solution to her for all problems. Is that their God?

Morag entered, with the bowl of soup. Jon slowly got used to the smell and taste of it. Morag claimed it has powedered horn of unicorns.

"Drink." she used to say. "Dust of unicorn horn is mixed in it. Will help you heal your bones, will help you heal your brain, it cures madness."

"I am not mad"

"Yes, you were. You spoke things nobody understood for a week. You spoke tongues of Essos, where did you learn that?"

"I never learnt any tongue of Essos."

"Then it was madness."

Perhaps. Jon resigned. He is a Targaryen. If Targaryens have to go mad, then he might as well be. Who knows?

"You been to Essos?"

"No, but I knew people from Essos."

"Essos huz dragons. Big dragons. No big uz Leviathans. But big." the large girl cut in.

"I have seen them."

"You did?" Morag was surprised.

"Yes."

"Ay wanta dragon." the big girl giggled like a small child.

"Steal a dragon egg then. You will have one." Morag was smiling. After a long time, Jon felt like people can joke and laugh, and there still exists silly things in life.

 

\------------------------------

Some peoples' lives can be full of silly things as well. Torrodor was one of them for sure. Kings and Queens come and go, but his life remained the same for most part. and he seemed not to be complacent about it much.

Meereen was mourning. The news of Daenerys Stormborn's death reached there like a huge cloud, covering the city and raining for days. Unused to so much rainfall, the city went full of mud and clogged water.

Today the rain stopped, and janitors have big work to clean up all the mess in the city's roads, buildings and port. Torrodor went down the stairs of the great pyramid. His today's job is to clean up the underground room where the dragons were kept.

 

What a spectacle they were once, flying around the city sky, protecting the city. Torrodor still remembers the day the dragons burnt the ships of the invaders. He felt so proud to work for the queen that rode those dragons.

Now the queen is no more, and he is here to clean up the mess the water has made with the leftovers of the dragons in their pit. Torrodor hummed a lullaby in high Valyrian, he always had a passion for songs from his childhood listening to graces when they sing in rituals, and all the songs he learnt hence are typically sung by women. But he doesn't need to concern himself with that when singing alone.

 _Come sleep to dear princess's eyes_  
_For the world is full of promises and lies_  
_For you will bring the days of dawn_  
_With angels that are yet to be born._

In a corner that he was almost going to overlook, something bright dazzled. Torrodor looked closely, enlarging his eyes, first in darkness, then in disbelief.

In the corner lay a small clutch of eggs, and within it lay three eggs, wearing hues of beautiful red, green and blue, not larger than a big cat each.

(End of episode)


	7. A Chronicle of Smoke and Salt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Informed by red priests about Dany's condition, Yara starts a secret trip. She notices the water levels are rising on the shorelines, and arrange to inform Winterfell and KL. Bronn leaves for Asshai. Tyrion, Bran and Mina debate about Bronn's motives. Arya sends her notes including the directions in raven scrolls to Winterfell. Sansa instructs that the ship leaving for Arya follows the directions, and agrees to Tyrion's request for funding a Maester for North of the wall. Jon leaves the Skagosi tribe hosts and reunite with Tormund and Ghost. He sends Tormund and remaining freefolk back, while taking Ghost with himself to explore onward. Quaithe takes Daenerys in a boat to Asshai, using glamor to cover themselves, and notice one of the fourteen flames is alive and smoking. Torrodor steals the dragon eggs and flees. Little Sam tells Mina what he saw in the glass candle - a thief stealing three dragon eggs and water rising from the hearth of their kitchen. Gilly is tired with the new life at King's Landing. On way to Naath in slave-hunting, Lady slave Master Malazza explains to Yezzan why his plan was a folly. On his way back to Stormlands, Gendry reunites with Anguy and meet his team of children archers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Episode Notes:
> 
> This is the title episode of the season. Both of them are named A Chronicle of Smoke and Salt. After six episodes of transitions from the original TV series and setting the tables, this is the actual episode that really kicks off the sequel with a distinct storyline.
> 
> Cultural references and influences: Flood myth, global warming, Behula, Epic of Gilgamesh.

**A Realm of Gods and Men**  

 _ **Season 1: A Chronicle of Smoke and Salt**_  

Episode 7 (title episode): A Chronicle of Smoke and Salt 

 

  
  
(Previously on A Realm of Gods and Men:

Arya Stark's fleet faces a deadly storm and the ship crashes in an Island of Dragon - one of the three Islands Elissa Farman discovered and named after Aegon, Visenya and Rhaenys. They attempt to repair their ships, while Arya discovers Elissa's journals in a cave along with several other artifacts and dragonglass rocks.

Jon Snow travels to extreme North planning to map the Land of Always Winter and resettle freefolk in the changed weather. On his course he passes fist of first men and heart of winter and reaches near the frozen arctic sea, experiencing dreams, memories and sudden attacks from storms and hellhounds. He gets rescued by a wandering Skagosi clan that once got lost and locked in the mainland, and discovers that Craster's ex-wives joined the clan, who treat and heal him from severe cold shock and apparent insanity treating with Unicorn's horn.

Sansa Stark plans to expand Northern Kingdom to include Land of Always Winter by claiming it back from Night's Watch, but later decides on taking back the New Gift at first.

Brandon Stark sees Drogon landing in front of the red door of the red temple of Volantis and anticipates Daenerys may get revived. He also sees Arya in the cave of Isles of Dragon and assumes she has reached land West of Westeros. Little Sam learns about Dragonglass candles from Sam, who pleads Tyrion to send a Maester from citadel to aid Jon beyond the wall since Castle Black is without a Maester for long.

Lord Gendry of Storms Land wants to know the whereabouts of Arya and visits Winterfell and King's Landing to know that, in the process helping them with trained smiths for reconstruction and weaponry. New Mistress of Whisperers Mina tells the council the status of remaining members of Brotherhood without Banners so that they can be now brought to order and use now that is no tyranny. Gendry says he will approach Anguy who is now teaching children archery and writing ballads in the Marches of Dorne, on his way back to Storm Lands.

Tyrion sends the new Master of Coins Ser Bronn of the Blackwater across the narrow sea with multiple missions, to exterminate Daenerys if she is alive and to apply for more financial aid from the Iron Bank.

Red Priests of Volantis after a lot of attempts could bring back Daenerys to life, but it is a vegetative life. Quaithe follows Daenerys's course and sees Ser Bronn reach Volantis, warns the High Priest Kinvara, who sends two Red Priests to scare Ser Bronn away with their glamour magic. Quaithe later visits the red temple, diagnosing Daenerys to have severe poisoning with Basilisk's blood that destroys the mind and induces madness. She tells the only antidote is known by a sorcerer in Asshai, and Kinvara asks her to take Daenerys to him with two firy hands accompanying. Ser Bronn leaves to Braavos on his second mission for acquiring a loan from Iron Bank but is unable to convince Tycho.

Meanwhile, hearing Daenerys has died, surviving slave masters group back together and ask from Iron Bank loan again to reconstruct their armies and fleets to take back the Dragon's Bay. Tycho is unconvinced of Daenerys's death reports and the masters try to make use of faceless men to find and kill Daenerys if she is alive. Jaqen initially refuses slave traders, but after realizing Iron Bank is supporting them, he asks three dragon eggs as advance payments for the job. The masters are afraid to venture into Asshai to find and purchase dragon eggs and discuss this in the common tongue in a Braavosi pub assuming no locals would understand what they are saying, but Bronn overhears them and offer them his service venturing into Asshai for a fee of one million gold dragons. While cleaning up the underground tunnels where Viserion and Rhaegal were kept before in Meereen, a janitor discovers a clutch of three dragon eggs.)

\---------------------------------

Yara looks on a map scrutinizing an outline, and then looks out from the deck of her ship to a coastal shoreline, a little bit puzzled. "Is it so?"

"It is." replies her first mate.

She looks back to the first mate, and then to the red priest Zanrush who brought her the news of Daenerys last week. He nods, "The shores are changing my Lady. The water is on rise."

"But why?"

"All the ice in the Northern regions are slowly melting my Lady, now that mother of Dragons have won over the darkness, the long winters induced by the Night King has ended. Wise men all over Essos say that the seasons will return to their natural length it used to be thousands of years ago, and summer is coming rapidly. All the huge ice deposits that were in the North are now melting, and that water is going down the rivers, the seas and the oceans, who are taking claims on the shoreline."

"Flood is coming" muttered her first mate.

"And does the Queen know about it?"

"She does not. As I told you back in Pyke my Lady, our Queen is alive but in a vegetative state. She does not move, talk or smile. That is why the first servant of light sent me seeking your help on her way to Asshai."

Yara knows, she probably has always known inside, when she heard the Dragon Queen went mad, got killed by Jon Snow, and taken by Drogon to an unknown destination, nothing made sense to her. In the council meeting at Dragonstone, all of them urged Dany to attack King's Landing with dragons and armies, and she refused strongly to be the queen of the ashes. She knew something was wrong, and when the red priest came to her with the news and request from Volantis, she did not waste a moment. That is the reason she began this secret mission. But this rise of water levels was something that she did not expect at all.

Yara wonders what will happen next, how much the waters will rise, will that drown the Iron Islands? What will happen to other landmasses of Westeros. She has to think ahead and arrange alternatives if that happens, the news from Volantis and her fleet couldn't have been more timely she guesses now.

"We need to send a raven back to Pyke, also to King's Landing, and.. " Yara bit her teeth "Winterfell". She turns back and walks away "No need to tell about this fleet. But we have to inform the rise of the water level to all the kingdoms anyway for their safety". Her first mate nods and leaves as well to find the new drowned priest. Zanrush keeps on looking at the exalted tides.

\----------------------------

Tides keep crawling beneath the feet of the Titan as if they are worshipping him, Bronn thought, as the merchant ship destined to Asshai he is in, leaves the city of Braavos. But one thing he could never understand about the Titan, and asked one of the sailors, that is - how and why his sword got broken. All he got in reply was "It always was, it was made like that, a broken thing".

\----------------------------

"Yes, your grace, he was last spotted in a ship leaving for Asshai, but my source says he may have made some job contract with the slave masters. I would be curious to know what the hand may know about his motives." Mina turned to Tyrion, "It seems like you always had a tender spot in your heart for.."

"Cripples, bastards and broken things. Which one is him Tyrion?" Bran uttered the words so calm that anybody would be confused if he was sarcastic, or serious, or indifferent. Luckily, there were nobody else at the moment in the conversation at Bran's chamber.

"He is none of the three, your grace, but I trust him. Whatever reason he did what he did, we are not sure about the motive, let us wait a few days more before drawing a conclusion." Tyrion seemed still unconvinced.

"You trusted him when he betrayed you without agreeing to fight for you against the mountain."

"He did, but that is really someone's personal choice. I cannot force anyone to fight for me."

"But he was provided something he wished for in return from Cersei, or at least glimpse of it, wasn't he?"

"Yes."

"And he betrayed you again when Cersei gave him gold for killing you and your brother with Joffrey's favorite weapon."

"Yes, but he didn't."

"Because he betrayed Cersei again for a promise to double the value of a castle with a better one, when even your brother argued that it was stupid and pointless".

"Yes, your grace, but that was needed."

"Needed to save your and your brother's life that moment from arrows. So a man got one the most expensive castles in the Westeros, because he succeeded in a series of betrayals, and you trusted him, and made some high promises, and repeated that series of high promises to save your life onward, giving a person who always had killed for money the Highgarden and the Reach."

Tyrion understands that he needs to be more persuasive than usual in this.

"Your grace, I know him. He is not a that much of a bad person."

"You had similar confidences about the state of mind and sanity of Daenerys at once, and she turned out to be mad."

Now Tyrion stops.

"Do you remember what he told you Lord Tyrion," Bran kept on in his calm voice "when you asked him what he would do if you tell him to kill a baby still in her mother's breast?"

"I do" Tyrion says looking at the ground.

"And still you have faith on his purpose?"

Tyrion pauses a little bit, and then suddenly the lion inside him roars.

"If you allow my grace, may I ask a few questions?" He said gently.

Bran nods.

"When you told me your story, I noticed that you first thought Jon was a Sand, didn't you?"

"I did"

"It's not before Samwell pointed out that he has written evidence that Rhaegar and Lyanna were married you could deduce it, and watch their marriage thereafter."

"Yes, but that is because I did not attempt to overhear aunt Lyanna's whispering conversation with my father at first."

"True, and that is why I could relate completely when you said that you never violate people's personal limits in your watches, and trusted you without slightest of doubt. But tell me your grace, whispers can be heard if attempted, and you can enter and control an wolf mind if you want to, but can you read inside what is in people's mind?"

"No" Bran admitted.

"When you described your escape, and held yourself responsible for Hodor's death, a spectator would have held you responsible as well. But was it that what you wanted at the moment?"

"No"

"That is what I am saying, your grace. You can watch incidences as they happen, you can hear what people do or say, but it may still not be that much easy to judge what they are thinking in their mind, more so for people that we haven't known for a long time. So evidence from observations cannot be the final verdict itself, it is just a tool, a very strong tool, but still a tool and nothing more."

"He is right in that statement, your grace, if you allow me to follow" to Tyrion's great surprise Mina supported him, but then she turns to him. "And may I ask Lord Tyrion, that why do you think you know what is going on in the Master of Coin's mind?"

"Well, I do not claim to know, but I can judge him from my years spent with him. I think that is the best one can do, there is no one in the world who can understand what is going on inside people's mind."

"You are right, in an ironic way mayhaps."

"What is the irony you see here Lady Mina, if I may ask?"

"I heard there are some people in the world who really do understand what is going on inside people's mind if they really want to look into it." Mina pauses, keeping them in a breathless wait. "And they call themselves No One."

\----------------------------

"I, Arya Stark, daughter of Ned Stark and Catelyn Stark of Winterfell at Westeros, leave here my observations and understanding of the islands I have visited following the footsteps of Lady Elissa Farman, which may or may not be helpful for the next ones, but I believe that, like her it is my responsibility as well to do so for future generations to come.."

Repairs went fine. They were now good to go. Arya and her crew have collected a lot of stuff from the island - nuts and fruits, fresh and dried coconuts with water and meat, ham they dried with salt on the shore, dried crabs and snails, reserves of spring water, wood, specimen of the shore sands and rocks likely full of minerals and ores and what not. Bonifer and Godrick, the two closest ones to Arya among the shipmates, the young one and the other one with the strange accent, have helped her survey and draw maps of the three islands and Arya left a copy of the maps in the cave as well with her notes. And the last thing before they left the beautiful islands was to send a raven for Winterfell with a copy of their routes, map and the notes on the island.

\----------------------------

Sansa looked at the scrolls with amazement and curiosity. There were two set of them. The crisp and sharp pointy corners of the handwriting was definitely of her sister. She looked at the drawings of sea routes and the island maps and the description. Maester Luwin always have praised Arya for her sharp intellect and merits in math and history, and while Septa Mordane was always critical of her lack of interest in weaving and needlework, she herself saw her sister chase wildlife and flowers and butterflies with such interest that Sansa always felt needless for noble ladies. But this is the first time she realized the erudite side of her sister.

The other one was from the iron islands. The salt lady is informing about rising level of sea water, and requesting nations for protection of people along their shorelines. That is obviously a new and curious information. Sansa considered why Iron Islands would be so nice now to care for all nations? The last time they met Yara Grejoy, Arya threatened to cut her throat if she talks about killing Jon, and Theon sacrificed his life to save Bran. When did Ironborn etiquette improve so much? There were reports that they have stopped piracy, looting and rape. Who changed them?

"Have the ship that is going to follow Arya already sailed?"

"No, my queen, it is getting ready to sail."

"Very well. Send them a copy of these scrolls. Tell them to follow Arya's course, and watch if the shorelines indeed are getting effected, and send us back ravens reporting on that."

"As you command, my queen."

"Maester Wolkan, what do you think the news from Iron Islands mean?"

"My queen", the Maester hesitated, "If the news is true, it means we need to be cautious about floods. The ice at the north is melting. There are reports that the huge icebergs at the north shivering sea are dwindling. We do not know how much ice is there in the North, so I cannot tell you the extent of the water it will bring in down south."

"Who can know the best about how much ice are there or what we can expect."

"I believe the one closest to those places right now." The Maester seemed thoughtful, "Your brother, Jon Snow."

"Yes" Sansa thought, somehow Jon has always managed to be the first in the clan to see the dangers coming ahead for them.

"There is another raven from King's Landing, your grace. From the hand of the king." Maester Wolkan handed over the scroll, and contrary to her nature Sansa seemed to open it rapidly, or so it seemed to him.

"Tyrion says that Jon will need a Maester at Castle Black, he has already wrote to Citadell to send one. He asks our assistance in paying the Maester's conveyances and remuneration and guards, which he promises to pay back."

"A Lannister always pay his debts." quipped Maester Wolkan "At least that is how the saying goes."

"He will be true to his words." Sansa seemed confident. "Confirm Citadel about our assurance, and prepare arrangements to receive the new Maester and to send him to Jon."

\----------------------------

Jon did not expect such a hearty farewell. The tribesmen as well as the ex-wives of Craster stuffed him with gifts he did not understand how far he will be able to carry. Among the gifts were knives, a belt, a bow and arrows, a short spear, salted and dried fish, whale oil, flint stones, a horn they claimed to be of some unicorn and a fur jacket with a furry hood and vinegar to deter hounds. Also a strange stuff they called a compo that had a lodestone stick tied to a rope. "The stone will show you the North and the South when you hang it with the rope. Until you reach a land of tales where it goes crazy." Morag explained. The large girl named Elizapy and her brother Miguel, an enormously talented boy accompanied him as well to to drop him off near the frozen sea, and teach him about ways around the frozen sea.

From the treatment or not, Jon was feeling somewhat sharp - a clarity of thought he could not previously experience. "If long winters are over, and if seasons are in the regular shapes like long ago as the Maesters used to say, then definitely the frozen sea would start melting." He told Miguel. "And if Tormund and ghosts and the freefolk survived, they surely would have started to look for me in around the same place." he deduced.

And turned out he was right on both account. As the approached a long lake that seemed to tear apart the land and the frozen sea bewildering the skagosi siblings, Jon noticed footsteps. And they didn't have to follow through much.

First it was ghost. Exuberant and loud unlike he ever was. Then it was a boy who ran after him. Then Tormund, and eventually they found nearly half of the party was still alive. It was sad, and they hugged each other and cried. It was sad to be alive among a surviving half clan.

Jon showed them the gifts from the Skagosi tribe, and the freefolk laughed about most of them, the Skagosi siblings looked at each other, clearly they were not feeling comfortable. That is when Jon explained how nice they have been to him, and how hospitable, and he could not survive without their help.

The ice was melting. Snow around them kept on 'sweating'. At night they set the campfire, and had songs from each of the freefolk tribes. The skagosi siblings had their share too.

"Where we go now?" Tormund asked Jon. His goat's milk reserve ran out leaving him in a little bit state of discomfort, Jon could notice that.

"You will take the girl and the boy back to their tribe safely, and then take the freefolk back to Castle Black or hardhome where they wish."

"And you? Aren't you coming with us?"

"No."

"Why? Where will you go?"

"North."

"This is the farthest North anyone has been ever."

"Right. But there is more perhaps. I have to go there. With Ghost."

"How? Will you walk on the frozen sea? Or fly like a dragon?"

"Neither. The sea is melting. I will follow the shorelines that go Northward until it either melts or is strong enough to withstand a walk."

"I told you there is no end to it." |

"There is" Jon showed him the compo. "This, they said, always show the north and the south. There is a tale of a land where it stops working. That is the end of the North."

"Is that place where you will fall off the edge?"

"There is no edge."

"Then what will be after that land of the tales? What more North of it?"

"Probably South." Jon was astonished at how clearly he could think. "I don't know. I have to go to know it. Probably I will find a different land, or a different sea, or the land my sister went in search of, or may be Essos."

\----------------------------

It was not a large boat. The fiery hands took turns in rowing, as did Quaithe herself at times. They were all under glamour, so was their queen. Daenerys looked like a boy of twelve, staring steadily at the sun, so Quaithe had to cover the vision with a shade of clothes on sticks. The black haired boy showed no expression, kept on looking the point in the shade where Sun was behind. Quaithe herself was glamoured as an old unattractive woman, and the fiery hands looked like fierce Ibennese warriors.

"Who goes there?" Guards have asked at ports and checkpoint.

"Her son." One of the fiery hands would have typically replied. "Got the greyscale so we are taking him to the summer sea near the Valyrian peninsula."

The mere mention of greyscale was enough to deter the bravest of guards, as if the deterring was needed at all for three wise mages. Being wise though, they wanted no confrontation, they did not want any news to spread.

They slowly entered the sunset sea south of Valyrian doom. The destruction was visible, as was one of the fourteen flames from far away, to their surprise it looked alive, like a wound smoking. One of the hands kept on looking astonished at the smoke.

"Do not look at it." Quaithe warned him.

But Danerys moved his, or her, head and looked into the smoke.

"She has already died once." Quaithe explained. And the fiery hand understood.

\----------------------------

It was worth dying for, Torrodor decided at last.

So when the night fell, he wrapped his belongings, or what was left of it into a small sack, stole a boat from the shore, and left the town with the clutch of three eggs.

\----------------------------

"Three eggs. Three dragon eggs."

What else do you see, little Maester, Mina enlarged her eyes as if in wonder.

"A thief, on a boat." Little Sam replied.

Gilly looked back at them. She is still recovering from her baby blues, and Sam's girl is quite unlike her gentle father, Gilly often could not find time easily for little Sam after the whole day taking care of her. Sam is mostly busy with treating King's Landing people, the burnt and the recovering ones, rebuilding the library of King's Landing, and trying to make sense of Qyburn's queer experiment. He neither could afford now much time for the children nor for Gilly, adding to her frustration. In North, the environment was familiar and homely, but in King's Landing amid all the regal comfort Gilly sometimes felt suffocated.

The new Mistress of Whisperer was fond of little Sam, and that was not too much pleasant a thought for Gilly. She does not know this woman well, and people tell she has worked in brothels before. What was more, little Sam showed little interest in going out and playing with kids, rather he preferred most of the time reading books from his father's collection and library, and staring at the dragonglass candle.

"Where?" Lady Mina was curious.

"On a sea, a lot of water."

"Hmm.. is that the blackwater bay?"

"I don't know. No, it looks different. Much different now."

"Such as?"

"It's a hearth."

"Hearth?" Lady Mina was amazed at the boy's imagination.

"Yes, the hearth, our kitchen." Little Sam's looks were fixed.

"Kitchen? What happened there?"

"Water." Little Sam replied. "Water is rising through the earth, through the hearth."

\----------------------------

"I take the water" Yezzan removed Malazza's dragon from the Cyvasse board with his catapult.

"And I take your king." Malazza pushes her other dragon into a position already guarded by an elephant and a trebuchet.

Yezzan obviously did not see that coming, nor that he was very keen to win as well, throughout the game his focus was on Malazza's curves and his efforts to not win but at the same time to keep it not obvious. He feigns a defeated look. That made Malazza happy.

Typically these are the sort of things that make Malazza happy - people defeated by her, bowing down to her, getting tortured to her pleasure - rumors ran abound regarding her personal definitions of pleasure. At this moment though, Yezzan's defeat gave her little pleasure, all she was interested was the venture into Naath. Since the assassin Lord from Westeros was sent to buy the dragon eggs, the masters planned to recover some of the cost through raiding Naath and get some fresh slaves to sell off secretly at Volantis or somewhere safer.

"What do you think the Westerosi will do when he gets the dragon eggs?" She asked Yezzan. As usual, they maintain the dragon-egg talks in public with common tongue uncommon in Essos.

"Well, he cannot betray us. If we inform his venture to his authority the half man of King's Landing, his job and title and lands will be gone."

"Will he care for that when he gets the dragon eggs?"

"He has to, he cannot hatch them. He does not have Valyrian blood. And he was an enemy to the dragon queen, so he cannot take help from her even if she turns out to be alive."

"I am not saying he will hatch them, I am saying what if he sell the dragon eggs and run away with the money?"

"Then he will suffer. The cost of Lordship of both Highgarden and Reach are much higher than the price of three dragon eggs. Just eggs, not full grown dragons, not even hatched. Add a million gold dragon of his fees and still his lordship of two kingdoms will be more valuable than that."

"And why will he lose those two kingdoms?"

"If he steals the eggs for himself, or the money, we will get to the half man and tell him. He will lose the lordship."

"What if he does not steal it for himself? He is also the Master of Coins of the half man and their cripple king. What if he is a rogue Master of Coins and give the money to his king?"

Yezzan looked at her dumbfounded. He never considered this possibility.

"And that is why Yezzan, you will lose every game to me in Cyvasse or other, no matter if you pretend to lose or not. Because you do not have what it takes."

Yezzan digested the insult, and lowered his eyes, thinking how the situation can be remedied now.

\----------------------------

The Dornish marches were beautiful. As Gendry came down the red mountains, the evening spring sun covered the green fields with a golden hue. Gendry traveled alone, giving his smiths for aid in Winterfell and King's Landing before. Being a Lord could not teach him the luxury Lords are supposed to have. His favorite horse, the white Stallion Arya gave him before leaving, stepped on fast and faster and faster, until the arrow flew all its way out of nowhere on a stone two steps ahead of him.

First one of them came out of the stones, a small girl, aged seven or eight, then another boy roughly a year or two older. Then another, then another, until Gendry was surrounded by a whole gang of them, small children, with bows and arrows.

Gendry smiled, came down from his horse, and then he saw Anguy.

From the grass came out a man whose grin still after all these years remained greener than the grass. The children looked on frowning, as two grown ups ran like kids to each other and shouted, hugged, punched and wrestled each other to the ground.

(End of episode)


	8. The Glamour and the Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tyrion visits Varys's old prisoner sorcerer who seems to be completely insane. He hints something about rings that Tyrion is unable to understand. Tyrion orders to bring him all possessions of Varys and his birds as well. Sansa sends the new Maester from Citadel to Castle Black. Sam and Tyrion discusses with Bran about his confusions. Yara meets Quaithe, joining the journey to cure Daenerys from the vegetative state, taking Quaithe on the ship, literally as well as physically. Arya reaches a new vast land and names it Nymerica, where armored and armed people seem to be waiting for them. Slaver ships arrive in Naath, to find Grey Worm and Unsullied ready to battle them. Jon bypasses north pole and reaches the north-western end of the Shivering Sea, where a ship is coming ashore. Anguy tells Gendry that he considers them - Gendry, him and Arya as still brothers without banners - and promises him that he will go on an expedition to find and assist Arya.

**A Realm of Gods and Men**  

 _ **Season 1: A Chronicle of Smoke and Salt**_  

Episode 8: The Glamour and the Truth 

 

 

 

(Previously on A Realm of Gods and Men:

Arya Stark's fleet faces a deadly storm and the ship crashes in an Island of Dragon - one of the three Islands Elissa Farman discovered and named after Aegon, Visenya and Rhaenys. They attempt to repair their ships, while Arya discovers Elissa's journals in a cave along with several other artifacts and dragonglass rocks. They repair their ship. Arya leaves her own notes for future explorers and send a raven with a copy of the routes, maps and notes to Winterfell.

Jon Snow travels to extreme North planning to map the Land of Always Winter and resettle freefolk in the changed weather. On his course he passes fist of first men and heart of winter and reaches near the frozen arctic sea, experiencing dreams, memories and sudden attacks from storms and hellhounds. He gets rescued by a wandering Skagosi clan that once got lost and locked in the mainland, and discovers that Craster's ex-wives joined the clan, who treat and heal him from severe cold shock and apparent insanity treating with Unicorn's horn. They bid him farewell with some artifacts and two Skagosi siblings Elizapy and Miguel to drop him off at the frozen sea shores. Jon reunites with Tormund, Ghost and the surviving team members. He sends them back as well as Elizapy and Miguel, and continues his journey even norther.

Sansa Stark plans to expand Northern Kingdom to include Land of Always Winter by claiming it back from Night's Watch, but later decides on taking back the New Gift at first. She sends a ship in search of Arya with the received route maps, and on request from Tyrion sponsors a Maester from Citadel to join Jon in the land beyond the wall.

Brandon Stark sees Drogon landing in front of the red door of the red temple of Volantis and anticipates Daenerys may get revived. He also sees Arya in the cave of Isles of Dragon and assumes she has reached land West of Westeros. Little Sam learns about Dragonglass candles from Sam, who pleads Tyrion to send a Maester from citadel to aid Jon beyond the wall since Castle Black is without a Maester for long.

Lord Gendry of Storms Land wants to know the whereabouts of Arya and visits Winterfell and King's Landing to know that, in the process helping them with trained smiths for reconstruction and weaponry. New Mistress of Whisperers Mina tells the council the status of remaining members of Brotherhood without Banners so that they can be now brought to order and use now that is no tyranny. Gendry plans to meet Anguy who is now teaching children archery and writing ballads in the Marches of Dorne, on his way back to Storm Lands.

Tyrion sends the new Master of Coins Ser Bronn of the Blackwater across the narrow sea with multiple missions, to exterminate Daenerys if she is alive and to apply for more financial aid from the Iron Bank.

Red Priests of Volantis after a lot of attempts could bring back Daenerys to life, but it is a vegetative life. Quaithe follows Daenerys's course and sees Ser Bronn reach Volantis, warns the High Priest Kinvara, who sends two Red Priests to scare Ser Bronn away with their glamour magic. Quaithe later visits the red temple, diagnosing Daenerys to have severe poisoning with Basilisk's blood that destroys the mind and induces madness. She tells the only antidote is known by a sorcerer in Asshai, and Kinvara asks her to take Daenerys to him with two firy hands accompanying. Ser Bronn leaves to Braavos on his second mission for acquiring a loan from Iron Bank but is unable to convince Tycho.

Meanwhile, hearing Daenerys has died, surviving slave masters group back together and ask from Iron Bank loan again to reconstruct their armies and fleets to take back the Dragon's Bay. Tycho is unconvinced of Daenerys's death reports and the masters try to make use of faceless men to find and kill Daenerys if she is alive. Jaqen initially refuses slave traders, but after realizing Iron Bank is supporting them, he asks three dragon eggs as advance payments for the job. The masters are afraid to venture into Asshai to find and purchase dragon eggs and discuss this in the common tongue in a Braavosi pub assuming no locals would understand what they are saying, but Bronn overhears them and offer them his service venturing into Asshai for a fee of one million gold dragons. He leaves Braavos with the contract towards Asshai. While cleaning up the underground tunnels where Viserion and Rhaegal were kept before in Meereen, a janitor discovers a clutch of three dragon eggs.

Informed by red priest Zanrush about Dany's condition, Yara starts a secret trip, but on her way she notices the water levels are rising on the shorelines, and tell the ironborn to inform that to Winterfell and King's landing. Tyrion, Bran and Mina debate about Bronn's motive. Quaithe and fiery hands take Daenerys in a boat to Asshai, using glamor to cover themselves and Dany who now looks like a little boy. On their journey passing the Valyrian peninsula by the Summer sea, they notice one of the fourteen flames seem alive and smoking. Torrodor steals the dragon eggs and flees to a destination unknown yet. Little Sam tells Mina about a thief stealing three dragon eggs, as well as the other stuff he saw in the glass candle - water rising from the hearth of their kitchen. Gilly is a bit frustrated with the new life at King's Landing. Lady slave Master Malazza explains to Yezzan why his plan recruiting Bronn was a folly. while they are on the way to Naath for a slave-hunting expedition. On his way back to Stormlands, Gendry reunites with Anguy and meet his team of children archers.)

 

\---------------------------------

"Here is he, my Lord"

Tyrion carefully enters the old room. A corner of it has been destroyed in the last war. Nostalgia engulfs him for a fraction of a moment. This is the room where his friend once told him his biggest secret of life.

On another corner of the room, the man is kept in chains. His eyes have gone full red now, and there is no sign of sanity left therein. The red sorcerer kept on mumbling words in Valyrian, some other Essosi language, common tongue and incomprehensible words jumbled together.

"Did you find him here?"

"Yes, my lord, but not exactly here. Within that crate. Being in the crate he survived when the roof collapsed in that corner."

Tyrion nodded, and then went close to the sorcerer, who looked back at him with his violent red eyes.

"Hello." Tyrion carefully asked, "Do you know me?"

The sorcerer looked as if from behind a thousand veils at Tyrion. He kept looking for quite a while, then burst into laughter, and then to tears, and then to curses.

"He may be dangerous, my Lord"

"He is in chains." Tyrion did not care. "Do you remember me?"

"Yes I do, half man" suddenly the sorcerer replied. That was so unexpected that not just Tyrion, even the guard moved in shock. He was not talking coherently for days.

"Tell me then, why did you castrate my friend? To serve what magic? To gain what power?"

The sorcerer did not reply. His gaze was fixed on Tyrion. "Not a half man, but a half lion." He muttered.

Tyrion felt an unknown fear gushing out from his guts that he wanted to suppress. He felt compelled to telling the guard to leave, but at the same time felt insecure in front of this chained sorcerer.

"What do you know about me?" Tyrion questioned, pulling his all will power to suppress the fears about the reply.

"Nothing." the sorcerer replied, as if to Tyrion's great relief at first, "Nothing lasts."

Those words sound familiar. Who said those? Varys? In Winterfell? Before the great war? Looking at Jon and Daenerys. How did he know the relationship will not last at that time before Tyrion telling him Jon's parentage?

"What do you know about him, about Varys?"

The sorcerer looked at him, but he wasn't looking at him. He seemed to be looking somewhere far away, as if through Tyrion, through the wall, through the city. "Ring" he said.

"Ring?" Tyrion did not get that.

"Yes, ring, rings, ringing." the sorcerer looked at him once again, then burst into hysteric laughter.

"Do you know what the fire say when you tossed his parts into flame?"

The sorcerer stopped laughing at once. Slowly, fear consumed his eyes, fear and tears. From hysteric laughter he went into crying,

"Can you tell me? Who was it? What did the voice say?"

"Ring the bells" the sorcerer muttered. "Bell the rings" he kept on. "Ring the bells", slowly getting irritated, as if something was driving him nuts, "Bell the rings" louder and louder he went. "Ring the bells", "Bell the rings". "Ring the bells", "Bell the rings", "Ring the bells", "Bell the rings" until he began screaming. The guard came forward and slapped him hard. The sorcerer went unconscious.

"That is how you stop him."

Tyrion stood there speechless for a moment, and slowly came out of the room, then he turned around and looked a the guard.

"Have a boat sent to Dragonstone. Have all properties left in Lord Varys' room there confiscated. I want to see each and every single thing he owned, as well as to meet his birds he kept in contact with."

"As you command" the guard nodded and went away.

"That is not the way you treat a mad man", he muttered to himself, "A madman sees what he sees, hears what he hears, does what he does. You cannot hit him for that."

"I thought killing mad people once used to seem more convenient, at least to you and to the men you like most, Ned Stark, Jaime Lannister, Jon Snow." Tyrion never noticed when Mina came beside her, so he was at a shock looking at her, "My Lord." Mina bowed, smiling courteously, and left.

\---------------------------------

Convenience is something Sansa craved for her whole life. Yet now that she has a crown, she realized that it is about almost everything except convenience.

She rode along with Maester Wolkan and others out of the gate of Winterfell towards the wintertown. The new Maester for Jon who presented his credentials yesterday was with them as well to witness the spring fair. The reconstructed yet modest castle lay behind. What remains now is the reconstruction of wintertown after the storm of the great war. Today, the market square will be reopened being the first to have completed their reconstruction.

They got off from their horses near the Smoking Log inn and walked towards the square. Sansa noticed the girls and women looking out of their windows at the arrival of the Queen in the North. Some of these faces she has seen before at the crypt of Winterfell where they were foolish enough to take shelter in. A boy was looking at her from atop a branch, reminding her quickly about Arya and Bran. "How I wish they were here." Sansa felt heavy suddenly. She is the lone Stark of Winterfell residing and presiding over Winterfell now. As she was thinking about it, a young merry couple came forward from the crowd and bowed her.

"My queen, we are going to get married this moon, and we seek your blessings." The boy said.

Sansa nodded with a smile. The couple left. The merchants wearing caps and hoods were waiting in line for her to open the door. They knelt as she reached, the people slightly more knowledgeable in royal courtesy and protocols than the commonfolk.

The door got opened among applause and cheers.

The market square respawned with a spring fair. There were delicacies, dresses and dolls - all things Sansa used to love when she was young. She still could remember those days of innocence.

Suddenly Sansa realized that the crown is all about this crowd. It was not about the nobility she used to grow up with, rather it was about the commoners she used to stay far away from once, used to hate after her horrible experience at streets of Flea Bottom in King's Landing. The memory of it still shuddered her. It left a deep and prolific imprint on her, a hate of common folk that is not very easy to overcome, but Sansa decided that she must try at least.

Among the merriment there were a few refugee family standing at the corner of the market watching the fair and her. Sansa asked Master Wolkan about them.

"They are from long lake your grace, and some of them are from Last Hearth near the Last River, it has taken some villages near its bank."

"So the Greyjoys told the truth?"

"I am afraid so, my queen. And I am not sure how much land will be claimed when all the ice melts."

"Is there enough ice to melt to create a flood?" The new Maester Pearse Foote quipped. He was a fresh new graduate, from a southern house in Westerlands. Clearly he does not have much idea about the level of ice and snow the northern regions have in deposit.

"We do not know for sure how much ice is there, but surely enough to create one." Maester Wolkan replied.

"I doubt so. There have been so many springs and summers. Never had the melted ice create a flood."

"There had been many winters as well. Not a single one this short in the records as well."

"That does not correlate."

Maester Wolkan did not continue. The southern skepticism about northern myths were well known, and this Maester is visiting Winterfell at a spring time. He will understand mayhaps when he reaches the wall.

"Prepare him about the climate and knowledge about north." Sansa quipped in, then she looked at Pearse. "Get ready, and start tomorrow for Castle Black.".

\---------------------------------

 

The journey downhill in warmer weather had been much faster. Tormund and his people reached back to Castle Black pretty quickly. Much has been changed to their surprise. The haunted forest was now a green one, to name a few. And the wall was sweating.

They have a new companion as well. Elizapy joined their gang when the Skagosi tribesmen found her in a questionable position behind a rock with Tormund, and they betrothed them together in their own custom. Tormund did not seem to object much. She kept staring at the wall with the wonder of the world in her eyes.

They had news as well. Queen of the North is asking to take over the New Gift and wanted Jon's opinion on that, but he is not here. Tormund or the others did not know how to send back a raven, but thankfully the second scroll told that a Maester is on his way to Castle Black.

\---------------------------------

Sam entered Bran's chamber to find him submerged in deep thought.

"Is everything alright, your grace?"

"Yes." Bran lifted his head, "how are you doing, Maester Samwell Tarly?"

Sam nodded his typical affirmation. "You looked for me?"

"Yes. I have something to ask you."

What does the greenseer need to ask him about? Sam could not think of anything that Bran could not have been 'seen'. But he nodded anyway.

"Do you know Valyrian?"

"Only a little" Sam admitted "I doubt if people of Essos would really understand my accent and words."

"I do not know."

"I can try to teach you."

Bran nods, unsure if that will help. "There is something that I do not understand well."

"What is it?"

"Whenever I try to look for Daenerys, I see an old woman, on a boat, with her sick son. That woman is not her, cannot be her."

"Is she at all living? Are you sure you are not seeing somebody else named Daenerys."

"I do not know, we do not understand magic well, do we?"

"No."

"I have been using the warging and all that the old three eyed raven taught me ever without understanding it. I doubt if he himself understood it."

"Perhaps." Sam moved his head uncertainly, "using something without knowing it properly may be dangerous."

"It is." Bran looked at him again. "That is what happened to Hodor."

"What happened to him?"

 

"It is not easy to explain."

 

"Please try."

"I was warged into him in the present, while I was looking at him in his past. That was dangerous. He could see me in the past, and his present and past got connected, and he lost his mind and became Hodor, in the past."

 

"That is unbelievable."

 

"Yet that was what happened. I am responsible for Hodor being Hodor. He could talk before, his name was Wyllis."

"So.." Sam was muttering, trying to find words ".. so, you can change the past then?"

 

"No, but I can become the cause of the present. The past is already written, and the ink is dry." Bran tried to convey the non-conveyable. "That is what the earlier three eyed raven told me. Whatever you try to change in the past will result in the present."

"I see, so is that the only time you changed the past, I mean, not change the past but make the present?"

"No, I believe. At the tower of joy I saw father, I called him screaming out of my mind, and he turned back and saw nothing."

"Interesting. What did the old three eyed raven had to say about it?"

"He said, may be, or may be he heard the wind."

"That does not make sense. Are you sure he told you the truth?"

Bran suddenly looked at him again. "I am the three eyed raven, myself, he warged into me before his death. So he is a part of me now. I would know if he lied."

"But don't we lie to ourselves at times?"

"We do." Bran uttered. "Crows are all liars. That was old nan who told me this. And everything she said was true. Perhaps this may be as well."

"Or perhaps not." They did not notice when Tyrion came and joined their conversation. He pulled a chair and sat on it. "Remember, in Winterfell, you told me that you think the long night will be over, and the night king will be defeated if we can set you as bait, as you suggested."

"Yes, I did." admitted Tyrion.

"That means you saw it."

"I did. And it was me who gave Arya that dagger, in the same place."

"And that means you can see the future."

"I can, not easy though."

"What do you mean not easy."

"There are so many things that can happen, my seeing cannot effect the future. So I have to act exactly the way I am supposed to for the future to happen. That is the limit. That is the price to pay."

"And that is why you told me to tell Jon about his parentage at that very moment?" Asked Sam.

"Yes."

"So you knew it was the future? That she will go mad and kill a million innocent people?"

"I did."

"You knew? And you did nothing to prevent it?"

"I cannot. Whatever I did, that would have been inevitable. Cersei kept deposits of wildfire, if the win would happen some other way she would have destroyed the whole city with wildfire. Jon would have died. You would have died. Arya would have died. In case of no war, Cersei would have burnt the whole Westeros one day in her growing madness. So it was the safest what was to happen, that Daenerys would burn the city prior to the soldiers entering bursting the wildfire cache. Once it was clear, the soldiers could enter safe. You could, Jon could."

Sam and Tyrion stood like thunderstruck. Bran stared at them calmly.

"So if the future is inevitable, then why do we act the way do? Why do we talk, work, try to make things happen? What is the meaning of all these."

"That is because we are all part of the future, or present, or past. We are the threads, and the future, and the present and the past are the pattern. We are woven, and we must be."

"Then what help will your visions do."

"I could try to make sure the way Gods have written it are executed with minimum hassles, and minimum casualty."

"I cannot agree. What if we conquered King's Landing the way the city of Meereen was conquered, through spies and secret agents and subversion"

"That would not have succeeded."

"And who told you that, or how do you know?"

"If a future does not happen, I do not see it. I cannot tell why, I do not know how, but the fate Gods have written is inevitable. We cannot escape that, we can only try to reach there peacefully."

"And that is your peace? By having a million people killed?" Tyrion's voice said that he could not believe himself.

"It is not my or your peace. It is how the past and the present and the future are woven all the way, rolling on and on. Like a wheel. It cannot be broken, and whoever wants to break it will fail."

"You know the future now?"

"I do."

"Then why don't you tell us?"

"Telling it will make it more arduous than it already is."

"And you know it will be more arduous?"

"Yes"

"Have you seen the arduous paths?"

"Yes"

"Have you seen all of the paths?"

"No. Human life is limited, I cannot see all of them. I try to find the likeliest way. It's not a fight in the north, or in the south. It is all of a battle, everywhere, all in my mind."

Tyrion and Sam looked at each other.

"So, if you had not given the dagger to Arya, the consequences would have been different?" Tyrion asked.

"Yes"

"And if you did not insist me to tell Jon at that moment, the consequences would have been different?"

"Yes"

"Then you can impact it." Sam tried to make sense, "Are you sure what the earlier three eyed raven told you was the truth? He could have shown you or told you about Jon's parentage right away. Are you sure there is no motive?"

"There is a motive. Greenseeing is a gift. From the Gods. One does not acquire it. If you do not put a gift to good use, to the use which you are supposed to accept, the Gods will not take it easy or make it any easier." Bran tried to explain. "That is the price to pay."

"Then it is a costly price I must admit." Tyrion said. "The magic is all glamour, but this price is the hard truth."

"But it is the only way, the only door we have, to reach the truth." Bran said, calm as ever.

 

\---------------------------------

"The truth" a woman with masked face replied.

Replied to what? Daenerys tried to understand. What was the question she asked? Then she heard her own voice.

"What will I get there in Asshai? Will I get ships? Or an army? What will I get there that I cannot find in any other places?"

The time was passing slow, and probably backwards, Daenerys tried to feel it, to understand it. It was like a wave, floating, dwindling, going forward at times, and backward at times

Or was it not time? Was it a boat? Who knew? Daenerys did not. And perhaps she did not want to know.

The times went rippling through her life like a knife, like a boat, like a dragon's flight. She saw a little girl, playing in a garden in front of a red door, under a lemon tree. She saw a dear face, holding her, crying, and kissing her. She saw a dying man's face, crucified, she tried to give the man some water to drink, but he couldn't take it.

"Remove their collars before you bury them." She remembered telling.

Was she buried now? Or is a collar there on her neck? Who knew? Daenerys did not. And perhaps she did not want to know.

She saw a temple, and a man with a monkey's tail on his head. An old man, but young. The man looked at him, smiling. And that smile took away all her fears, all her sorrow, and pain. She heard two women talking.

\---------------------------------

"What is the meaning of all this? Janrush said you are the woman carrying her, and to to give you a cabin. So we took you from your boat. And now I come to meet you, and there lies 'him'? This is just a boy. Where is our queen?" A strong woman's voice asked, a voice that Daenerys knew.

"There she is." the other woman answered.

Someone was moving a collar from her neck. So was she wearing a collar then the whole time?

"How did you!?" The woman with the strong voice seemed surprised.

"Valar Morghulis."

"Valar Dohaerys. Of course, it is her. You will get a cabin."

"I wanted to make sure she does not catch people's eye. And she caught your eyes the moment you see her."

"Shut up. She is my queen."

"Tell me, Lady Yara of the salt, will you betray her again?"

"I did not betray her."

"You did. You bent the knee to her killers before the dragon could hatch three eggs."

"I .. I did not know she is alive."

"Now you know."

"I swear, I will never betray her."

The other woman, the old one, seems satisfied now. She removed something like a collar from her neck now, not a collar, a necklace, with a ruby flashing brightly in it.

"What.. who are you?"

"This, was glamour. And this, is the truth." The old woman was now a young one, she removed her mask. From behind it came out a beautiful face, far more beautiful than any woman Yara has ever seen. Then she removed her dresses, revealing her body, beautiful and sharp, like a bow and an arrow.

"You seem to like the truth, salt lady." Quaithe smirked with her eyes inviting, eyes deep as a sea.

Yara came forward. She was trembling in passion. She knew what she is seeing is magic, but she could not resist herself. She has seen Elissa Farman's statue when visiting southern islands before, but could not ever imagine she was that much sharp and beautiful.

"You don't need to resist, salt lady. I have tasted smoke a long long ago. Let me taste salt now."

Yara began removing her own clothes. They started kissing, passionately, losing all controls.

From the bed, Daenerys turned her head, and looked at the duo, silent, motionless, emotionless.

\---------------------------------

The duo always kept on competing for her attention, trying to help her in tasks, but Arya stayed emotionless. She had to be, she had even had to leave the love of her entire life, her childhood crush behind, pretending she did not feel anything. And this was just a ship, and they were only shipmates.

Weeks and moons have passed since they left the islands, and there was no hint of any other lands. Days passed, and nights, and weeks, and moons. Except for when she was in a task, or helping someone else with their tasks, Arya kept on standing at the front, looking for some sign of a land. There was none.

But one day, a sailor noticed something. A seagull.

"Land is ahead, my captain."

"How far do you think we are from it?"

"A day or two at most."

The whole crew was excited. Watches and preparations began among the crew of Nymeria. That night Arya could not sleep well. In her dreams she kept on hearing whispers. Whispers coming from eyes that hid in bushes.

She woke up in the morning with Bonifer knocking at her door loudly. "Captain, captain. We have found a land."

Arya jumped out from bed, and ran to the deck. Everybody was there, they paved ways for her. She came forward and looked at the horizon.

And there was it. A landmass, large and as far as the eye goes north or south, they could see outlines of green woods and hills even from afar.

"Let's name the land Nymerica" Arya said.

"Nymerica, Nymerica" spread the cheer among the crew.

The crew resumed preparations. By the time the sun was high, they were close to the shore. The hills were clearly visible now, and so are the woods. But there was something more.

In the front of the woods, at the beach. There were people, looking like ants from afar. But their bodies glistened and reflected the sun. Which could have only one meaning.

The people were wearing armors.

\---------------------------------

Grey Worm was polishing his armor. They have reached here moons ago. At first, the people of Naath were apprehensive. Every time some foreign ships came, it was for only one objective, slave-hunting. So they went back and hid themselves in the forests. When they later saw no sign of threats from the unsullied, and when the unsullied started dying in the bites of the venomous butterflies of Naath, they came out helping them with antidotes. By that time however the unsullied had lost some of their men already.

Then they began training these peaceful people. It was not easy at first, the people of Naath are mostly poets, they like nature and beauty and clouds and rain and music, but not arms and armors. Grey Worm had to tell them about Missandei, and his promise, and the fact that the Unsullied cannot stay here forever to protect them because they cannot reproduce.

The training was going well, so far these people did amazing feats of performance, though some of them were hilarious. "But they need to face real enemy" Grey Worm thought, "And make real fights and do real kills. Otherwise the toughness they need is not coming soon."

As if his prayer was answered, they saw a flock of ship approaching in the evening.

The slavers' ships.

\---------------------------------

 

Jon looked at the ship closely.

He has passed weeks after parting with Tormund, and journeyed through an extremely cold and bleak shore that he could not even imagine before. The sun was always at the horizon lying very low, and although it was like a long, long day, he could not really tell the difference between the dawn and the dusk. Each day the sun peeped up on somewhere east in the sky, moved along the southern horizon to somewhere west like an almost complete circle with only a small part lost. Then kept set for an hour or two and leapt back again on the eastern sky. And the entire time it looked as pale as the moon.

When the brief nights came, the curtains of light played on the entire sky on top of their head, making it almost impossible to go totally dark. The cold was the most extreme that Jon ever had experienced, even Ghost seemed tired of it. To save themselves, Jon and Ghost would walk only a few hours each day around noon when the cold was least. Rest of the day they dug large holes in the ice and hid themselves inside cuddling and letting snow cover the hole, leaving only small gaps to breathe and to peek into. That provided some warmth.

There were not much to eat. They passed through curious fields of small furry plants that look like willows, and hunted seals on the shore, white fluffy round hares that were very hard to catch thanks to Ghost, and rarely some very large furry ox. Thanks to the cold and the salty ice near the shore however, each time they hunted, the meat packed up would serve for days.

The lodestone behaved weird but not as weird as the skagosis told. First it pointed to the north straight as usual, over the time as Jon moved northeast following the shorelines, slowly it was turning left to northwest, and at a certain point it was almost pointing to Jon's left, led him to believe that he probably bypassed the strange point where north ends, leaving it on his left. "I should be nearing the shivering sea coastlines soon" he thought, and soon afterwards he reached a point in the shoreline where it took an abrupt bend southwestward, near a mountain cliff. From the edge of the cliff, the ship was clearly visible. It definitely did not look like a pirate ship. Rather it had a strange round, spherical shape Jon has not seen before. Is it a whaling ship? From Ibben? Is he really on the shore of the shivering sea now?

A lot of things rapidly played at the same time in his mind. If this is the shivering sea, then he has reached on the northern coast of of it journeying north. So the world really does bend. From here he could chose to go back knowing the fact, or he could venture further before his return. What if he calls and boards the ship? What is beyond the shivering sea?

Essos.

Thoughts kept running in Jon's mind like never before. He has never been to Essos, never seen it, only heard stories of Essos. That is from where his ancestors, the first men, came to Westeros, ten thousand years ago. That is from where his ancestors, the Valyrians, came to Westeros, three hundred years ago. Jon suddenly felt his roots, his original roots were in Essos, never explored.

And there is something more there, someone else, Dany.

Drogon took Dany eastward, he heard, not to Dragonstone. Where did he take her? Meereen? Valyria? Somewhere else? He didn't know, but somewhere inside him an invisible thread of emptiness kept him pulling, pulling perhaps to his destiny.

"What is honor, compared to a woman's love." He remembered Maester Aemon's words. It is duty he had chosen his entire life, and that gave him ashes and ruins. It gave him Ygritte's dying face looking at him. It gave him Dany's dying face looking at him. He betrayed him.

He tried to think Dany was mad, illogical, insane, cruel and evil, but somewhere in his mind a bell was ringing. Something was not quite right. That is not the same Dany who risked her life and her children's to save him from the army of the dead beyond the wall. She gave him her hand. If he held her hand at that moment and rode the dragon instead of keeping on fighting, Viserion would not have died. She taught him how to ride a dragon, a beautiful dragon, Rhaegal, named after his father, the father he had never seen. He could spend only few days with his new pet before he died, before he was killed. He told her his parentage, she could not trust him, and even then in the great war she saved his life for three times. He betrayed her faith, even then all she did was to ask for love when they met at Dragonstone.

"She is dead, isn't she?" Jon asked himself. But somewhere from his heart that took a knife a voice was shouting, crying "No, she is not". Whose voice is that? Melisandre? She is dead too. Jon tried to think clearly. "I am having deliriums again." He looked at the unicorn horn in his bag, and suddenly it all flushed out to him.

If Drogon destroyed the iron throne instead of him, and if he has taken Daenerys to some unknown land in Essos, then there can be a purpose. May be there was a purpose in his northern venture, may be there was a purpose in his finding the unicorn's horn. May be Dany is dead, or she is revived like him by some red priests who live in the east, but until he meets somebody who knows for sure - he cannot be sure himself. It all seemed to make sense to him now.

But will it not be too risky? What is the guarantee that the ship will take him anywhere close to Dany? What if Dany is dead which is supposed to be? What if he does not succeed? What if he dies?

Jon remembered the promise he made to her. "If I could chose a way to die, I would chose death to save you.".

And for the first time in his life, Jon decided to choose love over duty.

He lit a fire. Then he began shouting. So did Ghost. And ship seemed to notice. As it came closer Jon could read the name of it written in several languages. The one in common tongue read 'The Princess'.

\---------------------------------

"...

The princess of Rhoynar was brave and was wise

From the old days of Ny Sar.

When dragons lay waste and the fire was on rise.

She called on all of the Rhoynar.

Where the sun sets on sky there's a land o my kin.

And I will take all of you there.

So they sailed off their ships for summer to begin,

To a land where laws are just and fair.

They came onshore on the Island of women

North of Walano on sea.

And in the caves they all had made their den

And built a fleet worlds did not see.

For ten thousand ships were on that huge fleet

Like of that never be seen.

And sailed off the Rhoynar then again indeed

In name of Nymeria the queen..."

"Nymeria." Gendry thought aloud. "That was the name of her wolf. And the name of her ship.".

"You look lovestruck" told Anguy, pausing the long marcher ballad.

"I am not."

"Yes, you are."

They reached Storm's end a week ago. With the children archers. Anguy took responsibilities of these orphan kids and raised them up as own, so he was initially skeptic when Gendry told him to join with him, but later he agreed.

"If the kids get a brighter future in your 'lordship' then nothing can be better than that." he said when they discussed the offer.

They surely did. Gendry maintained simplicity in his ways of running the Storm's End, but yet the kids have now much better clothes and food and shelter now than before, and Gendry instructed the Maester in Storms Land to arrange some form of education for all commoner children not just the nobles. And Anguy joined Gendry's army and Gendry made him the commander of the archer teams.

"So it was the wolf girl?"

Gendry kept silent.

"Listen, boy. Wolves are never homely. You cannot expect that wild girl to serve your ladyship wearing fancy dresses, smiling fake smiles at noble guests and raising your kids."

"She didn't have to. I do not live like so called lords. She didn't have to live like a lady."

"And if she wanted to sail alone in the sea, would you allow her?"

"Who am I to allow or forbid? If she wanted it, I would definitely arrange a ship for her. Only that I wanted to go with her, I wanted to be with her."

"And your lordship? Storm's End? Who would have looked over it?"

Gendry kept silent. That is one of the reasons he never wanted to be anything except a commoner bastard. He never wanted to rule anything. He went to refill his glass again, and Anguy stopped him.

"Hold! You are long over limits. Boy! I remember you never used to drink before. What happened? Are you wasted?"

"I am." Gendry admitted. "I never thought I would be a lord. I never wanted to rule. What is a kingdom for? She left a hole in my heart. And even seven kingdoms will never be able to fill that hole."

"Look at me, boy." Anguy shook Gendry with force. "Look at me!"

Gendry looked at him.

"You want to know where she is, how she is, is that it?"

"Yes. And that she is safe. And that she is doing great and winning. And that she knows I am still........ NO, I would rather be wasted and finish myself to an early grave. But I don't want to hold her back."

"You don't have to." Anguy assured him. "I will find her out. For you. I will be your champion."

Gendry looked at him.

"You?"

"Yes, me. The brotherhood separated, but the brothers can remain. You did not forget me. You found me and brought me here, and gave the children I work for some good life, you gave them safety. We are still brothers without banners, all of us - you, me, and her.

"But she has gone west of Westeros. Moons ago. How can you catch up on her?"

"There could be some way, as swift as arrows. I will talk to the Maester. You are a skilled smith, you can help. You say you have good terms with the Maester of Ships in King's Landing. Ask for his help. We will sure find some ways."

Gendry seemed to find a straw to catch amid an ocean.

"Thank you!" He could say, then. "I will go with you."

"No!" Anguy was strict. "Not now. You just have got hold of a lordship. And you are a wonderful Lord. A great leader born from the commoner and for the commoner that Westeros has rarely seen.You need to hold it, at least for some time. You need to hold Storm's End, for days to come. One day she may need you, and you need to be there for her. And if that time comes, I will find a way to let you know, so you can come with ships and arms and armors, for your queen Nymeria."

Gendry looked at him with all his hope and strength pulled together. Then he nodded.

(End of episode)

(To be continued)


	9. The Ring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tyrion finds out the significance of the rings that were left by Varys before his arrest. The stranger in Arya faces stranger challenges in the new land. Jon learns from an Ibbenese shipmate about children of the forest residing at Ifequevron of Essos and gets guidance about his routes to Southern Essos. The unsullied and the slavers face each other in their final battle. Yara reaches Asshai with Quaithe and Daenerys and meets surprises and shocks. Little Sam finds a horn.

**A Realm of Gods and Men**  

 _ **Season 1: A Chronicle of Smoke and Salt**_  

Episode 9: The Ring 

 

  
  
  
(Previously on A Realm of Gods and Men:

Arya Stark's fleet faces a deadly storm and the ship crashes in an Island of Dragon - one of the three Islands Elissa Farman discovered and named after Aegon, Visenya and Rhaenys. They attempt to repair their ships, while Arya discovers Elissa's journals in a cave along with several other artifacts and dragonglass rocks. They repair their ship. Arya leaves her own notes for future explorers and send a raven with a copy of the routes, maps and notes to Winterfell.

Jon Snow travels to extreme North planning to map the Land of Always Winter and resettle freefolk in the changed weather. On his course he passes fist of first men and heart of winter and reaches near the frozen arctic sea, experiencing dreams, memories and sudden attacks from storms and hellhounds. He gets rescued by a wandering Skagosi clan that once got lost and locked in the mainland, and discovers that Craster's ex-wives joined the clan, who treat and heal him from severe cold shock and apparent insanity treating with Unicorn's horn. They bid him farewell with some artifacts and two Skagosi siblings Elizapy and Miguel to drop him off at the frozen sea shores. Jon reunites with Tormund, Ghost and the surviving team members. He sends them back as well as Elizapy and Miguel, and continues his journey even norther.

Sansa Stark plans to expand Northern Kingdom to include Land of Always Winter by claiming it back from Night's Watch, but later decides on taking back the New Gift at first. She sends a ship in search of Arya with the received route maps, and on request from Tyrion sponsors a Maester from Citadel to join Jon in the land beyond the wall.

Brandon Stark sees Drogon landing in front of the red door of the red temple of Volantis and anticipates Daenerys may get revived. He also sees Arya in the cave of Isles of Dragon and assumes she has reached land West of Westeros. Little Sam learns about Dragonglass candles from Sam, who pleads Tyrion to send a Maester from citadel to aid Jon beyond the wall since Castle Black is without a Maester for long.

Lord Gendry of Storms Land wants to know the whereabouts of Arya and visits Winterfell and King's Landing to know that, in the process helping them with trained smiths for reconstruction and weaponry. New Mistress of Whisperers Mina tells the council the status of remaining members of Brotherhood without Banners so that they can be now brought to order and use now that is no tyranny. Gendry plans to meet Anguy who is now teaching children archery and writing ballads in the Marches of Dorne, on his way back to Storm Lands.

Tyrion sends the new Master of Coins Ser Bronn of the Blackwater across the narrow sea with multiple missions, to exterminate Daenerys if she is alive and to apply for more financial aid from the Iron Bank.

Red Priests of Volantis after a lot of attempts could bring back Daenerys to life, but it is a vegetative life. Quaithe follows Daenerys's course and sees Ser Bronn reach Volantis, warns the High Priest Kinvara, who sends two Red Priests to scare Ser Bronn away with their glamour magic. Quaithe later visits the red temple, diagnosing Daenerys to have severe poisoning with Basilisk's blood that destroys the mind and induces madness. She tells the only antidote is known by a sorcerer in Asshai, and Kinvara asks her to take Daenerys to him with two firy hands accompanying. Ser Bronn leaves to Braavos on his second mission for acquiring a loan from Iron Bank but is unable to convince Tycho.

Meanwhile, hearing Daenerys has died, surviving slave masters group back together and ask from Iron Bank loan again to reconstruct their armies and fleets to take back the Dragon's Bay. Tycho is unconvinced of Daenerys's death reports and the masters try to make use of faceless men to find and kill Daenerys if she is alive. Jaqen initially refuses slave traders, but after realizing Iron Bank is supporting them, he asks three dragon eggs as advance payments for the job. The masters are afraid to venture into Asshai to find and purchase dragon eggs and discuss this in the common tongue in a Braavosi pub assuming no locals would understand what they are saying, but Bronn overhears them and offer them his service venturing into Asshai for a fee of one million gold dragons. He leaves Braavos with the contract towards Asshai. While cleaning up the underground tunnels where Viserion and Rhaegal were kept before in Meereen, a janitor discovers a clutch of three dragon eggs.

Informed by red priest Zanrush about Dany's condition, Yara starts a secret trip, but on her way she notices the water levels are rising on the shorelines, and tell the ironborn to inform that to Winterfell and King's landing. Tyrion, Bran and Mina debate about Bronn's motive. Quaithe and fiery hands take Daenerys in a boat to Asshai, using glamor to cover themselves and Dany who now looks like a little boy. On their journey passing the Valyrian peninsula by the Summer sea, they notice one of the fourteen flames seem alive and smoking. Torrodor steals the dragon eggs and flees to a destination unknown yet. Little Sam tells Mina about a thief stealing three dragon eggs, as well as the other stuff he saw in the glass candle - water rising from the hearth of their kitchen. Gilly is a bit frustrated with the new life at King's Landing. Lady slave Master Malazza explains to Yezzan why his plan recruiting Bronn was a folly. while they are on the way to Naath for a slave-hunting expedition. On his way back to Stormlands, Gendry reunites with Anguy and meet his team of children archers.

Tyrion visits Varys's old prisoner sorcerer who seems to be completely insane. He hints something about rings that Tyrion is unable to understand. Tyrion orders to bring him all possessions of Varys and his birds as well. Sansa sends the new Maester from Citadel to Castle Black. Sam and Tyrion discusses with Bran about his confusions. Yara meets Quaithe, joining the journey to cure Daenerys of her vegetative state, taking Quaithe on the ship, literally as well as physically. Arya reaches a new vast land and names it Nymerica, where armored and armed people seem to be waiting for them. Slaver ships arrive in Naath, to find Grey Worm and Unsullied ready to battle them. Jon bypasses north pole and reaches the north-western end of the Shivering Sea, where a ship is coming ashore. Anguy tells Gendry that he considers them - Gendry, him and Arya as still brothers without banners - and promises him that he will go on an expedition to find and assist Arya.)

 

\---------------------------------

"We shouldn't land'ere, my captain. We needa send a boat at first to talk, and if we ain't welcome, we've to go back." Godrick said.

"We will never be welcome." Arya tried to understand the accent "Do you see that cage cart they have ready for capturing us? They will take us as invaders and imprison. There is no need to send a boat."

"Shall we go back then?" Asked Bonifer.

"No, why go back after coming so long way? Just stay here, and keep alert taking turns among yourselves, until I return."

They look back puzzled as the captain goes back to her chamber from the deck. And that is probably the last time they would see her in that day, before she vanished.

One of the two ship crew who reminded Arya of Biter on the isles of dragon and died in her hand, silently and carefully dismounts the railings on the other side of the deck, and goes down the ladder silently to the sea, and then swims deep down the surface.

\------------------------------------------

A Mahuan soldier goes back to pee at the wood. The invader ship is standing still at the ocean for hours. They do not have much to do until the ship lands, then there will be another set of new gifts for King Atayan.

What kind of ship it is, he wonders. The last time in stories he heard a ship arrived was thousands of moons ago. There was a girl in the ship, a fighter girl. She finished half of the guards at land with arrows while still in her ship. Will there be a girl in this ship as well?

He stood up to go back, and then felt a sharp pain in his neck. And before he could fall making sound, Arya carefully had him in her grip removing the poisoned arrowhead from his neck. She lay him down carefully, silent. And fell sorry for the soldier. All she needed was his face.

She looks at the shore, to the cage cart the other soldiers have ready for her shipmates after their capture, waiting for her ship to arrive, and then at their camp where some of their slaves are cooking meals. She feels sorry for them too. Wish she had some better option or some warmer welcome.

\------------------------------------------

 

"How long will we be waiting?" asked an impatient ship crew. "The captain is not here since morning. She is not in her room. Nowhere in the ship. I guess she fled or committed suicide."

" We should not be here. We should return home." shouted another crew. "We found land, and that is enough. Now we should return and tell the Queen about the discovery."

"We will NOT move anywhere." Bonifer told biting each words. "The captain told us here to wait until she returns, and that is what I will do. That is what WE will do."

There was a murmur. It was almost evening, there was no sign of the captain anywhere, and the crew were agitated. One among them, Mollander, went atop the watch stand and shouts to the other.

"Our captain has aborted us. There is no use waiting for her. I am the new captain."

The crew suddenly turns silent. Mollander did not understand it well, being a bit drunk, he goes on.

"Who is fool enough to listen to a girl captain? You? It won't be me. She is hiding somewhere. After she comes back, I will fuck her hard." Mollander looked a the crew, but for some reason they were silent. "You all will get a chance too, hick."

Mollander recognized that the crew were looking behind him. He looked back. The captain was standing right behind him, listening to him intently and observing him. Was she there the whole time?

"My, my captain.. I was only telling a joke, you know, we were.. bored. Hick."

Mollander thought it was another hiccup, but it was not. The captain just have sliced his throat. He moves a little, then from the watch railing falls down to the water.

"We will land there now." Arya comes down from the watch stand without any expression or concern on her face. "Get ready with the tents."

"But those soldiers on land, my captain?" Bonifer asked.

"You need to bury them in the beaches. I didn't have time." Arya goes back to work as usual. The crew turns back to look into the shore closely. The soldiers on the shore are scattered in the ground, lying on the sand, like dirt.

\------------------------------------------

Ser Davos Seaworth entered Bran's chamber. The king was looking at the fireplace, as usual. The red woman used to do the same, Ser Davos remembers. He was about to cough to announce his presence, but Bran looked at him before.

"Ser Davos."

"Yes your grace."

"You want to tell me something."

"Yes, your grace. Lord Gendry sought for my help in some shipbuilding at Storm's End, and he believes I can help him."

Bran nods. "The Lord of Storm's End have been very helpful to us. We should return his courtesy. Take with you our fastest ship."

Ser Davos nods, then proceeds, "If you allow me your grace, I like to pay a visit to my family. My wife has not seen me in ages."

Bran nods again.

\------------------------------------------

Tyrion looks at the belongings they brought from Varys' room from Dragonstone. Martha was there as well.

"Tell me without any fear, sweet child, what did Lord Varys tell you to do."

"He told me to pass scrolls and messages to other birds."

"And?"

"And I did."

"No, I mean, is that all he asked you to do?"

Martha stood silent.

"Tell me, do not fear me child. No one will hurt you."

"He told me.." Martha said hesitantly.. "to mix from some vials he used to give me, with the Queen's.. the mad Queen's food."

"And you did?"

Martha nodded.

"Do you know what were in the vials?"

"No."

Tyrion nods.

"Do you have parents, Martha? Or anyone to take care of you?"

"No, me' Lord."

"Ser Davos is going to Storm's Land tomorrow. From what I hear, Lord Gendry has opened a facility for all commoner children to study, and orphans have facilities to stay there. Do you like to study like the noble children do?"

Martha nodded eagerly.

"Very well. Ser Davos will leave for Storm's End tomorrow. I will arrange that he takes you with him. Rest well tonight."

Martha leaves happily. Tyrion turns to the belongings. There were perfumes, clothes, shaving instruments, pens, scrolls and in a container, rings.

Tyrion picked up the rings.

 

They looked like ordinary rings of Jade and Ruby. Nothing extraordinary. What was the sorcerer saying? Ring the bells, bell the rings. Only insane rant, Tyrion thought.

Then he tried to make a rhyme with the rings knocking them on the table.

Instead of usual metallic sound, they sounded hollow.

\------------------------------------------

The round ship had a huge hollow interior. Jon learnt that it was for carrying a whale. He has never seen such a huge ship.

"How long do you think you will have to wait?" He asked the only crew who could speak the common tongue smoothly. By this time he knew this was an Ibbeneese whaling ship, and for some reason they have been trying to catch whales without success and trotting around.

"We do not know. The weather is strange. Ice is melting, water is warmer than usual. Whales used to be frequent in our close territory. We never thought we had to come this much north to find whales. The way it is going, it seems like we have to opt for Leviathan hunt."

"And what difference will that make?"

"Big difference. Leviathans are as large as an island. We need to catch a child male if we have to settle for a Leviathan. And to find a Leviathan so specific we have to go far southeast as far as the Leviathan Sounds."

"Is that where you are heading now?"

"Yes. You should thank the Gods we are not a slaver ship. All the slaver ships went south to Naath to hunt for slaves. Now that the dragon queen is dead, the slavers are back to business. May be they will try to colonize the free cities again."

"They feared the dragon queen?"

"Yes, did you never hear that? She freed all the slaver cities and all the slaves there, hundreds and thousands of people, from the slavers. She offered the slavers security if they free the slaves and give them food, clothing and property for their lifetimes of service. The slavers did not listen, and then came her soldiers and then her dragons, and all the slaver fleets were burned down to water, and the slave masters were crucified like the way they used to crucify the slaves. She is the savior to people of Essos. Too bad that she went back to her family land west, where your people killed her."

"It was me." Jon thought "But how can a savior in a continent turn to death of commoners in another?"

"We can drop you off at the shores of Leviathan Sound with your wolf. You can carry on foot or catch another ship. Where do you want to go?"

"I do not know."

"You do not know?"

"No. I have never been to Essos before."

"Essos is not like your tiny land child. Nobody knows yet where it borders at the east. You have to know specifically where you have to go."

"Where do dragons fly in Essos?"

"Dragons were dead. The dragon queen is dead. I heard one of her dragons lived and went to Volantis. People say dragons fly in the shadow lands beyond Asshai, but nobody can go there. Did you come to Essos just to see dragons?"

"No. Where is Volantis?"

"On the other side of Essos. This sea is to the north of Essos. Volantis is in south. That is the city of the fire God, the red temple. If you do wrong, they will burn you alive."

Jon stayed silent. So did Drogon actually fly to Volantis?

"You are a strange man. You walk with a direwolf, now you want to see a dragon, and you have come to Essos crossing the north for that. You are like the Ifequevron people who live in the forest with animals."

"Who are Ifequevron?"

"Wood walkers. The live in the forest. They worship trees, and draw strange faces on white trees. They hunt with dragonglass blades and arrows. And sing beautiful songs. They are small, like children."

"Children of the forest, are they in Essos too?" |

"You know them? Then taking their help will be your best bet. To go south of Essos, you have to either cross Jhogos Nai, or Hyrkoon, or Vaes Dothrak. And I bet you will get killed along the way. But the Dothrakis respect the Ifequevron. If one of them takes you with her, then you can cross the great grass sea easier."

"Her?"

"It could be him. But I do not know. Till now anybody has not ever seen a male Ifequevron. Either male female they all look like girl child, or there is no male Ifequevron. Anyway, we will touch New Ibbish on our route, from there the ghost city Vaes Leisi where the Ifequevron is still said to live is not far. I will arrange you to go there with your wolf. You have to give the wood walkers food offerings with leaves, stones and water. Otherwise they will not help you."

"Thank you."

\------------------------------------------

"You are welcome, Quaithe of the shadow, and you, salt Lady Yara, and I believe that is the mother of dragons."

There was no welcome in his tones, or his masked face, or the slimy eyes that looked through it, Yara thought, there was nothing particularly welcome in this dark, gloomy, huge town. Yara had never seen such a huge and sparsely populated town. It seemed old, it seemed of the future. There were houses, markets, palaces all huge but fearsome. These were made with some kind of greasy black stone that looked like the seastone chair to Yara.

A palanquin waited for them, made with ebony and iron, and covered in black curtains. Yara could not see the slaves who were carrying the palanquin behind the curtain, but from their uniform mechanical motion looked weird to her. And once they entered the palanquin it looked like a very large room inside. They all could sit and keep Dany's body and still there were plenty of space left. It is all magic, Yara realized. She has kept the ship at the bay, and forbade the mates to eat or drink anything from the city or the water, not even the fish and use instead the stock in the ship.

There was a window, but through the black curtain Yara could not see anything except the houses rushing at light speed.The palanquin moved far faster than they could ever imagine, it seemed like they just have properly sit when the mage announced they arrived at his place. Yara got down to find themselves standing in a yard in front of a shop. The mage gestured them to enter through a door beside the ship. The fiery hands carried Dany's body. The palanquin vanished as soon as they were looking away to the door, and when Yara looked back it was gone by then.

Doors kept on opening on their own until they reached the mage's chamber. The mage showed the fiery hands an altar made of that black greasy stone, and they lay her down there. Dany's body seemed to shudder at the touch of that cold and bleak stone. The stone slowly turned greenish red.

"Basilisk's blood." the mage told. "The queen is mad now and completely lost her mind. She cannot even think properly. How can she even move ever again?"

"You have the antidote."

"I had, but why should I give you. It is expensive. And after the antidote she has to devour dust of unicorn's horn within ten moons, otherwise the cure will get lost."

"What is the price that you want." Yara asked.

"Iron price will not pay, my lady. It requires blood sacrifice. Flesh and blood."

Quaithe nodded to the mage. "I have brought that". And then looked at Yara.

"Whose flesh?" Yara did not understand, or was trying not to understand. "Whose blood?"

"Yours, my sweet lady" The mage said calmly. Yara never have heard such calm voice except for in the dragonpit. She drew her sword and knife, but they melted like grease. Two slaves came in, naked and covered with the black grease, and took her away.

 

"Traitor!" Yara shouted at Quaithe as they took her, and Quaithe looked at her with sorry eyes. "You betrayed me, you traitor!"

\------------------------------------------

"What does traitor mean, mother?" Little Sam asked.

"Ask your father." Gilly answered absent-minded, cleaning garbage that piled up at their home and old stuff.

"Why? Has he betrayed you?" Little Sam's voice was innocent and curious.

Gilly looked at little Sam, not understanding what to say to her little child, but something got planted in her brain.

"Maester Samwell, Sam." Lady Mina came in to call Samwell.

Gilly suddenly lost her temper, went out of the door and looked at her sharply. "Sam"? How dare the new Mistress call her husband in that name? "Why are you here to find him? And why are you calling him by this name?"

"Pardon me, Lady Gilly" Mina felt a little awkward, she actually called for little Sam in the second time when Maester Samwell did not seem to respond, to ask for his father. It is one of those typical issues that happen when the father and the son are named same, but Gilly was not in her right mind at the time. Mina tried to explain "I came to Maester Samwell because.."

"You have no reasons to come to him. And you cannot call him Sam. Do you understand?"

"Yes, my lady."

Little Sam came out. "You were calling me?"

"Yes. Please tell your father that the Hand of the King needs to meet him urgently."

Mina bowed and went away. Gilly stood there, trying to get hold of her baby blues, trying to manage herself. And when she could not, she broke down. All her anger fell on Sam's tables and drawers. All the little weird stuff Sam refused to discard created a load of garbage in his room, at least in Gilly's eyes. She went there and viciously started to discard and through away all the old stuff she never got a chance to clean up before. Little Sam returned, but seeing her mother's rage he tried to take shelter at a corner from the thrown stuff. And there in the corner was beautifully adorned old toy of some kind little Sam could not recognize at first. His mother just have thrown it away, so he cautiously picked up so mother does not notice, and looked at it closely.

It looked like a horn. Can this play music like a flute? Little Sam wondered. But he has to find his father first, so he hid the horn a place he knew safe, and ran away.

\------------------------------------------

The horn blew on the inner side of the castle black wall. Tormund came down to greet the new Maester. But he seemed shocked to see the freefolk men and women and children there.

"Welcome Master."

"Maester." one of the northmen accompanying the Maester corrected him.

"Welcome Maester, to Castle Black, and meet us, the freefolk."

"Has the wall been invaded by the wildlings?" The Maester asked his fellow northman trying to whisper, but it was loud enough for Tormund to overhear.

"We did not invade, we were invited, and we are the night's watch now."

The Maester's face looked distraught.

\------------------------------------------

"Did you look for me, Lord Tyrion?" His face looked distraught unusually, Sam thought.

"Yes, Maester Samwell. Did you examine the rings?" Tyrion seemed anxious.

"Yes, Lord Tyrion. They were hollow. Inside them, there were some kind of liquid. Poisonous liquids - Basilisk's Blood."

"Basilisk's Blood? What does it suppose to do?"

"When taken in small amount, it induces severe violent madness into the victim. When taken in large amount, like the amount in one of these rings, it melts the mind, with time the person will become completely insane and mindless."

Tyrion sits motionless, looking at Sam's face. Sam does not understand it fully.

"Lord Tyrion, are you ok?"

\------------------------------------------

Something was not ok.

Although they were victorious, it was not feeling right. The crew dug a grave, buried all the bodies. Arya inspected the meals cooked. Some of it is left fresh. Is there any chance a few of them did not eat and ran away? She thought, but it is already late night when they finished burying the dead, and everybody was tired in the stress of the tensed couple of days, and this unexpected victory seemed like a relief to them. Despite Arya's forbidding they cheered loudly for their amazing captain. And then soon the camps were snoring.

Arya sat in her tent, trying to stay careful. She lit a small piece of dragonglass rock, and watched the shadows dancing on the tent. Shadows as black as a black hole, as nothingness, that seemed to rip apart the fabric of the tent and the world. Nothing is just nothing, Arya thought, looking at the shadows. All the old memories seem to dance with them. Gendry. Where is he now? What is he doing? Is he sleeping peacefully beside a beautiful girl? Arya tried to imagine Gendry smiling with a girl, beautiful and soft and ladylike, all that most boys want. And the more she tried to imagine, the more a face of a sharp, horselike face with cold, hardened eyes kept on coming. A girl clad in armor instead of a dress.

"It is not true." Arya tried to think. "It is my imagination. I am not worthy of a handsome fresh lord like him. I am a wolf. I am no one. He will be shocked when he knows the real me, the true me, my faces. I could hurt him even without knowing. I didn't want to. I don't want to." she suddenly noticed a teardrop in her eyes. "When have I become this much soft like a crybaby." Arya felt ashamed, but she was red.

She tried to think of Jon. Where is Jon? What is he doing now? She closed her eyes, and watched Jon walk towards a forest with Ghost and a strange man who had long hands that reach the knees, a protruded bow ridge, dark and deep eyebrows, sunken eyes, a huge nose, bony and sturdy built body and hair all over. Who is this guy? What is that land? She saw a lot of eyes, faces of small children looking out of the forest at Jon. 'I have to tell him.' Then she remembered she chose to come far away, on another side of the sunset sea. But the eyes did not go, or they went, but these were a different set of eyes, looking out of the forest, of different faces. Not of the children. Arya woke up.

There was silence all around. Except very little sounds of footsteps far away that only her over-sharpened sense of hearing from the blind training could hear. Arya put out the light, and listened carefully, silently.

There were many footsteps now, not one or two, not hundreds, thousands perhaps? Arya tried to guess how far were they. Probably less than a hundred yards away. No probably less. They are here.

Shadows of men ran past the tent. Then more shadows, then more. 'They have surrounded us" Arya realized. Someone was trying to pull his tent cover. Time to use her sneaking skills.

A man entered the tent. Of average stature, wearing a cap made of leaves spread out like the Sun, and a garland in his body made of shells and stones and teeth and bones, and a skirt-like cover made of skin of some black cat. Then another one entered, then another. The three of them looked around the tent. There was no one. Or at least in their eyes, there was no one. They left.

Arya heard gags, cries, shouts as she silently crawled into a nearby bush, and then to another, and then into the forest. From there she watched how her entire crew was kidnapped and tied and put inside the cages.

"What can I do now" Arya tried to think quickly, while something moved near her. She turned her head, and saw two eyes, from the bush behind her glowing, and looking at her.

\------------------------------------------

The battle started almost immediately. The slaver ships catapulting projectiles of fire toward the unsullied made them step back and scatter. When the fireballs were running out and the beach and the wood and the hills near it are completely on fire, boats landed on the shore and the slaver soldiers came in.

The unsullied was fighting fearless as usual. But they were already reduced in numbers after facing the large wars and the fireballs in this sudden battle. The slaver soldiers started to have an upper hand, and that is when the newly trained Naathis came out of the hills and woods and attacked the slavers in fresh force. Not expecting any violence from the locals, the slavers started fleeing on boats. And Grey worm decided to chase. This is their chance to obliterate the slave masters once and for all. They chased the slaver boats with theirs, sailed their ships and soon caught up with them. The fighting continued on the boats with spears and soon they were mid-sea.

The slaver ships lured the unsullied ships and then formed a circle around them. They started firing the remaining fireballs at the unsullied ships now, and soon completely destroyed the fleet. Grey worm took remaining unsullied into a boat, and reached for the ship that contained all the slave masters.

Amid arrows and spears and projectiles, their boat got destroyed, but a few of them could get into the masters' ship. The masters had guards and soldiers around them, but the unsullied were desperate and fearless. One by one, the killed all the masters, the last to get killed was Malazza. As she was crying for mercy, Grey Worm took out his dagger and slit her throat.

But then, something pierced him from behind. A dying Yezzan could pick up a spear and inserted that into Grey Worm's neck from behind. Grey Worm looked back and saw the man whose life he saved back in Meereen repay the debt. Another surviving unsullied cut Yezzan's throat and ran to Grey Worm.

Grey Worm tried to keep standing holding the deck railing. He kept looking at the beach. The beach of Naath. The Naathis were standing there. Crying, cheering, mourning at the same time. The slavers were destroyed forever, and so were the unsullied. Grey Worm saw a girl, standing on the shore, holding a collar in her hand, crying 'Teacher' in Naathy language. He was collapsing on the deck, the unsullied held him in his lap, "Torgo Nudho" - the unsullied man was shouting, but Grey Worm was calm, he looked at his fellow, beyond his shoulder. Did he hear a dragon screech? He saw Daenerys on the dragon, smiling at him. He could finish his mission. He could exterminate the slavers, once and for all. He could not keep his head straight anymore, he was falling. From the side he saw a girl, Missandei, holding his hand on the deck. She was smiling too.

And for the first time in life, Grey Worm smiled wholeheartedly full of glee and joy, closing his eyes forever.

(End of Episode)

(To be continued)


	10. The Horn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In an attempt to make the horn usable and read its letters, Little Sam holds in the light of a dragonglass candle. Queer incidents surround Daenerys, Quaithe, Yara and Bronn in Asshai. Jon reaches the ghost city Vaes Leisi. Arya meets an innocent soul.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Additional Inspirations: Pocahontas, The Shadow over Innsmouth.)

**A Realm of Gods and Men**  

 _ **Season 1: A Chronicle of Smoke and Salt**_  

Episode 10: The Horn 

  


 

 

(Previously on A Realm of Gods and Men:

Arya Stark's fleet faces a deadly storm and the ship crashes in an Island of Dragon - one of the three Islands Elissa Farman discovered and named after Aegon, Visenya and Rhaenys. They attempt to repair their ships, while Arya discovers Elissa's journals in a cave along with several other artifacts and dragonglass rocks. They repair their ship. Arya leaves her own notes for future explorers and send a raven with a copy of the routes, maps and notes to Winterfell.

Jon Snow travels to extreme North planning to map the Land of Always Winter and resettle freefolk in the changed weather. On his course he passes fist of first men and heart of winter and reaches near the frozen arctic sea, experiencing dreams, memories and sudden attacks from storms and hellhounds. He gets rescued by a wandering Skagosi clan that once got lost and locked in the mainland, and discovers that Craster's ex-wives joined the clan, who treat and heal him from severe cold shock and apparent insanity treating with Unicorn's horn. They bid him farewell with some artifacts and two Skagosi siblings Elizapy and Miguel to drop him off at the frozen sea shores. Jon reunites with Tormund, Ghost and the surviving team members. He sends them back as well as Elizapy and Miguel, and continues his journey even norther.

Sansa Stark plans to expand Northern Kingdom to include Land of Always Winter by claiming it back from Night's Watch, but later decides on taking back the New Gift at first. She sends a ship in search of Arya with the received route maps, and on request from Tyrion sponsors a Maester from Citadel to join Jon in the land beyond the wall.

Brandon Stark sees Drogon landing in front of the red door of the red temple of Volantis and anticipates Daenerys may get revived. He also sees Arya in the cave of Isles of Dragon and assumes she has reached land West of Westeros. Little Sam learns about Dragonglass candles from Sam, who pleads Tyrion to send a Maester from citadel to aid Jon beyond the wall since Castle Black is without a Maester for long.

Lord Gendry of Storms Land wants to know the whereabouts of Arya and visits Winterfell and King's Landing to know that, in the process helping them with trained smiths for reconstruction and weaponry. New Mistress of Whisperers Mina tells the council the status of remaining members of Brotherhood without Banners so that they can be now brought to order and use now that is no tyranny. Gendry plans to meet Anguy who is now teaching children archery and writing ballads in the Marches of Dorne, on his way back to Storm Lands.

Tyrion sends the new Master of Coins Ser Bronn of the Blackwater across the narrow sea with multiple missions, to exterminate Daenerys if she is alive and to apply for more financial aid from the Iron Bank.

Red Priests of Volantis after a lot of attempts could bring back Daenerys to life, but it is a vegetative life. Quaithe follows Daenerys's course and sees Ser Bronn reach Volantis, warns the High Priest Kinvara, who sends two Red Priests to scare Ser Bronn away with their glamour magic. Quaithe later visits the red temple, diagnosing Daenerys to have severe poisoning with Basilisk's blood that destroys the mind and induces madness. She tells the only antidote is known by a sorcerer in Asshai, and Kinvara asks her to take Daenerys to him with two firy hands accompanying. Ser Bronn leaves to Braavos on his second mission for acquiring a loan from Iron Bank but is unable to convince Tycho.

Meanwhile, hearing Daenerys has died, surviving slave masters group back together and ask from Iron Bank loan again to reconstruct their armies and fleets to take back the Dragon's Bay. Tycho is unconvinced of Daenerys's death reports and the masters try to make use of faceless men to find and kill Daenerys if she is alive. Jaqen initially refuses slave traders, but after realizing Iron Bank is supporting them, he asks three dragon eggs as advance payments for the job. The masters are afraid to venture into Asshai to find and purchase dragon eggs and discuss this in the common tongue in a Braavosi pub assuming no locals would understand what they are saying, but Bronn overhears them and offer them his service venturing into Asshai for a fee of one million gold dragons. He leaves Braavos with the contract towards Asshai. While cleaning up the underground tunnels where Viserion and Rhaegal were kept before in Meereen, a janitor discovers a clutch of three dragon eggs.

Informed by red priest Zanrush about Dany's condition, Yara starts a secret trip, but on her way she notices the water levels are rising on the shorelines, and tell the ironborn to inform that to Winterfell and King's landing. Tyrion, Bran and Mina debate about Bronn's motive. Quaithe and fiery hands take Daenerys in a boat to Asshai, using glamor to cover themselves and Dany who now looks like a little boy. On their journey passing the Valyrian peninsula by the Summer sea, they notice one of the fourteen flames seem alive and smoking. Torrodor steals the dragon eggs and flees to a destination unknown yet. Little Sam tells Mina about a thief stealing three dragon eggs, as well as the other stuff he saw in the glass candle - water rising from the hearth of their kitchen. Gilly is a bit frustrated with the new life at King's Landing. Lady slave Master Malazza explains to Yezzan why his plan recruiting Bronn was a folly. while they are on the way to Naath for a slave-hunting expedition. On his way back to Stormlands, Gendry reunites with Anguy and meet his team of children archers.

Tyrion visits Varys's old prisoner sorcerer who seems to be completely insane. He hints something about rings that Tyrion is unable to understand. Tyrion orders to bring him all possessions of Varys and his birds as well. Sansa sends the new Maester from Citadel to Castle Black. Sam and Tyrion discusses with Bran about his confusions. Yara meets Quaithe, joining the journey to cure Daenerys of her vegetative state, taking Quaithe on the ship, literally as well as physically. Arya reaches a new vast land and names it Nymerica, where armored and armed people seem to be waiting for them. Slaver ships arrive in Naath, to find Grey Worm and Unsullied ready to battle them. Jon bypasses north pole and reaches the north-western end of the Shivering Sea, where a ship is coming ashore. Anguy tells Gendry that he considers them - Gendry, him and Arya as still brothers without banners - and promises him that he will go on an expedition to find and assist Arya.

 

Eventually Tyrion finds out the significance of the rings that were left by Varys before his arrest. The stranger in Arya faces stranger challenges in the new land. Jon learns from an Ibbenese shipmate about children of the forest residing at Ifequevron of Essos and gets guidance about his routes to Southern Essos. The unsullied and the slavers face each other in their final battle. Yara reaches Asshai with Quaithe and Daenerys and meets surprises and shocks. Little Sam finds a horn.)

 

\---------------------------------

 

Little Sam tried to examine where the fault lies with the horn. It did not make a sound. On the body of the horn there were some old writings of some languages Little Sam never saw in any books of his father's collection. But they were covered in dust, from ages.

He cleaned the horn well, and tried to read again. The letters were still not very visible though.

Then he went to his father's table and found the dragonglass candle again, lit it, and tried to read the letters in the light of the candle.

Slowly letters came visible, as if alive. They were not common tongue. They were not like the Valyrian letters Little Sam had seen in his father's dictionary. They looked like some writing ancient.

Little Sam felt the letters, that were looking at him with a thousand eyes and one. With sudden happiness he ran to find his father. He has to tell him.

\------------------------------------

Tyrion stared at the ground, sitting on his chair in the small council. He could not make up his mind yet, should he share the knowledge regarding Varys's ring or attempts to poison openly in front of all, or not.

"Ravens from Winterfell and Castle Black and Pyke all indicate the ice on the North is melting and water is rising in the rivers, seas and everywhere in the North." Sam said in the small council meeting.

"The water will reach here eventually." Bran said.

"A flood is coming then." told Mina.

"That is interesting. My son claims he had dreams while staring at candles. He dreamed about a flood."

"Your son seems quite clairvoyant it seems." Tyrion said.

"It is all a child's fantasy. But I wonder what if a flood really comes."

"Arrange seven weeks of savings. Save corns, grains, livestock, so that we can feed people when the flood comes, until it recedes."

"Good plan." Tyrion appreciated, and everyone nodded. "I will arrange accordingly, your grace."

"Thank you. Is there any news from our Maester of Coins yet?"

"No your grace." Mina replied. "But the ship he took for Asshai is scheduled to reach there by now."

\------------------------------------

 

The marketplace, like the town, seemed endless. Shopkeepers selling dragonglass weapons, amber, amulets, gold, medicine, metals, silk, jewelry and what not. But nowhere Bronn seemed to find any shop selling dragon eggs.

Until he reached this souvenir shop where a hooded man was trying to sell something to the shopkeeper. Bronn did not know that much of Valyrian, but he learnt enough meanwhile to understand the words drōmo zaldrize - dragon egg.

 

The shopkeeper and the seller both seemed to be alerted and changing the subject when Bronn entered. So he pretended to be looking after other things, and went out shortly, waiting at a corner somewhat away. The seller came out after a while, probably not happy with the price, and walked away. Bronn followed him to an inn.

The hooded man seemed worried. He went upstairs to his room, and locked from inside. Bronn waiting patiently in the inn till it was evening, and the man came down back for supper.

 

Bronn sent a drink to his table, and then went over there.

 

"Hello, you might not know me. I am Ser Bronn of the Blackwater, Lord Paramount of the Highgarden and the Reach, from Westeros.".

The blank look in the eyes of the hooded man told Bronn that he did not understand a word. He tried in his amateur Valyrian then and gestures.

"You have.. dragon eggs?"

The man kept on looking suspiciously.

"How much price?"

The man kept on looking. Bronn tried other gestures, tried drawing eggs in the air, nothing worked.

At last, he poured a pouch of a thousand gold dragons on the table.

That worked liked magic. The hooded guy smiled, counted the coins, and then thought a little, and then showed him two hands five times. Fifty thousands.

Bronn knew the bargain culture of Essos, nothing is fixed price here. The culture is so prevalent if he agrees at once however small the price is, the seller will be dissatisfied and will think there is a trick, so a bargain is a must, and it could lower the price even more. He showed two hands one time. Ten thousands.

\------------------------------------

He came out of the inn singing. They had settled for forty-five thousand gold dragons for three dragon eggs. Who knows what price the seller had paid to the supplier of the eggs, or if he had stolen it himself, Bronn did not care. The eggs looked original, three of them, in hues of red, green and blue. He checked times and again before the deal, so it's time to leave for King's Landing. Bronn waved to stop a palanquin. And that is when he first saw Drogon, circling the sky.

\------------------------------------

In the mage's chamber, Yara was tied to a huge basin. Below the basin, there was a grid opening to a pipeline that looked like a sewerage, but Yara could smell sea-water. Perhaps it was connected underground to the sea, she guessed. Around the basin a fire was burning creating a half-circle. The mage was chanting eyes closed. The slaves waited on the other side of the chamber. Quaithe stood beside Daenerys's body on the black stone table, looking at Yara, and the fiery hands stood on either sides of the table. Yara looked straight at Quaithe as well, with contempt and pain.

She was stripped off her ironborn armor after capture, and the slaves clad her in a black robe. Her body was red and sweating from the heat of the fire, and her head was dizzy. "I am losing my mind." She thought, because she was hearing whispers in her head.

"Salt lady, don't fear, you will be alright. This is a trick and a bait." Quaithe's voice said in her mind.

"These are words made up by my exhausted mind that want to survive."

 

"No, it is the truth."

"How will be alright? What are they going to do to me traitor?"

"Do not please call me a traitor, there was no way other than using you as a bait. They will serve you as offering to the deep one."

"The deep one?"

"Yes, the ones you call your drowned God salt lady, they will come through the hole to devour you when your body is properly baked in the smoke like a ham."

"That is how I am going to be alright?"

"No, salt lady, you will be saved."

"Who will save me, you?"

"The one whose life you came to save."

Yara looked at Daenerys. She lay as expressionless as she was before on the stone table.

\------------------------------------

 

From far away, a boy was running to her, amid snow, water and desert. With a long horn in his hand. "Is he coming to stab me?" He did not look like doing so. The boy's face was full of angst, of fear, of concern, of love, of questions, of doubts, of determination about her. Dany felt like touching the boy, caressing him, telling him not to worry, that she was alright. But she could not. "I have enjoyed your company, Jon Snow." she told herself.

"You did not. You enjoyed nothing in your life. Try to enjoy now, the Gods have given you life once, twice, and more in ages. Do not waste it. Enjoy." said a monk, an old but young man with a smiling face. He was wearing a monkey's tail on his head. He came forward, and took Dany's hand. "Come, dance with them all."

Dany did not know how to dance, but she was dancing. Under an open sky on a plateau, she was dancing with all them. Were they ghosts? Or were they alive. Dany did not know. She could not remember all of them. There was Jon. There was Tyrion, There was Varys. Grey Worm. Missandei, Qhono. Arya. Sansa. Jaime, Cersei, Yara, Gendry, Sam, Jorah, Daario, the Red Priest, Moro, Hizdar, Xaro, Pyat Pree, Drogo, Mirri, Viserys. All of them were dancing under the sun, moving in circles, spread in spirals, to a music so beautiful it brought tears in Dany's eyes. And it started raining within the sun. The sky was filled with a rainbow. They danced on and on, to a joy so acute, so sharp, so intense that Dany never felt in her life. They danced on and on, from winter to summer and winter again.. until someone whispered into her ears. The masked woman.

"Wake up Dany. Yara needs you now. Wake up."

\------------------------------------

"Wake the dragon, precious deep one, and raise her from the stone. Come deep one, the Azor Ahai. Ulululululu" the mage Zoroke was chanting and ululating in the language of Asshai. "Come, get reborn amid smoke and salt, you stranger, and take our offering to wake the dragon."

Yara smelled something from beneath the grid's holes. It smelt of tree, of octopus, of algae, of the scent of women she loved, of everything she smelt in her life. She could see it coming, for her. It was like a root of a tree, or roots, or tentacles, moving, expanding like flames of fire. It had a face, faces, many faces, a thousand eyes and one, blue eyes. And it was looking at her, with kindness, pity and knowledge. Terrible knowledge. Yara understood she is going to be a part of the knowledge soon, all her memories, and she will have the knowledge herself. It was an impending joy of knowing everything in the world, and an impending doom of getting devoured and consumed in the process. She felt perplexed, fixed staring at the greasy spiral or life or entity or substance that was coming out of the hole. It was black and white. Black like the greasy black salt throne and ironborns, white like the trees that the Starks pray to, and the Starks themselves. It moved in spirals like a flame, like heads of dragons in the Targaryen emblem. She could see everyone she knew there. The cold stare of Arya threatening to cut her throat, the calm stare of Bran silencing her, the warm stare of Dany inviting her.

"Get ready, salt lady, ready for escape." whispered Quaithe in her mind. Yara looked up. Her body was so red now in the heat it will burn soon, and she was almost dehydrated in sweat. But her eyes got fixed on the stone table, the dragon queen was rising, waking up.

\------------------------------------

Dany sat on the stone table, did she see something a little bit similar to this table before? She remembered the table from the house of undying. A black shadowbinder was chanting and ululating, like Mirri Mazz Durr. A masked woman she glanced for a moment at Qarth was holding her hand. Two men dressed like red priests were protecting her. Two slaves covered in black grease were staring at her. And in front of her, a fire engulfed a basin. In the basin Yara was tied down, horrified, sweating red in heat, and below her, a grid. Like the one she saw from above in the House of Undying. A strange spiral set of greasy tentacles forming like a Valyrian emblem of dragonheads was coming to devour her.

"Yara!" Dany shouted, and leaped out of the stone table, running to her. She had absolutely zero energy left in her body, but somehow she managed to move.

"My queen!" Yara stared back in surprise and horror. "Stop! You will get burnt."

Dany did not listen. She did not care. Why would she? She stepped forward to the circle of fire. The slaves came forward to stop her and threw her away in a corner. The fiery hands came forward and cut off their heads. But they fixed their heads back again on their head and pursued again. In horror, the fiery hands looked at the shadowbinder. He was standing his hands raised.

The fiery hands lit their swords. One of them fought off the slaves, the other one jumped forward and pushed his fiery sword to the shadowbinder's heart. He burst with a flame, taking the fiery hand with him. The other fiery hand lit both of the slaves, who pushed him to the basin before being burnt to destruction. The fiery hand kept on shouting Valar Morghulis as he got devoured alive by the spiral being. Then the being went back behind the holes from where it came.

Dany entered the fire and passed through it like snowflakes. She tried to untie Yara, but could not, looking back at Quaithe for help. From behind the fire, Quaithe threw a knife to catch.

Dany did not know from where she got that much strength. She did not remember when or how she cut off Yara's bondage and took her to her shoulder and ran through the fire. All she remembered is running out of the house with Quaithe and Yara as it was burning. And for the first time in her life, Dany looked back, and felt sorry for the fiery hands who sacrificed their lives, and for the slaves who were machinated, and even for the shadowbinder who helped her wake up. She suddenly stopped.

"Run, my queen!" Yara shouted.

"No. I have to go back. I have burnt them. And millions of them. I need to go back, there must be a trial. I have to go west." Dany was strange, thinking like a child, and tired but resolute.

"To go west, you must go east. To go north, you must go south. To touch the light, you must first pass beneath the shadow. You have already faced your trial, my queen, and you died. Run!"

And they ran and ran to catch up with a bloody moon shining red above, through the gloomy, dark, greasy, smooth streets of Asshai. They ran together, holding each other, like three women who have nobody left in their lives. Until they heard a dragon screech.

\------------------------------------

Bronn did not see anyone inside the palanquin. He did not see anyone outside it. The slaves who were carrying it could not be seen before he boarded it on a hurry seeing Drogon. And now he did not know how to tell the destination. He wanted to go to the port and leave for King's Landing. But he did not know where the palanquin was going.

Soon it stopped.

Bronn came down and saw the road was blocked. There was a house caught on fire. it's tall pillars and gates and high wall fell on the road, and blocked it with the fire.. He didn't know what to do, where to go. He did not even know which way is the port, and there was not a single person on the street.

Except for three women, far away, probably running away from the fire.

Bronn ran behind them. If they understand his language, they will be his only hope in this strange city, where nobody is even interested to come out and see when a house got put on fire.

\------------------------------------

"Drogon" Dany thought.

"Yes, it is him, came for his mother." Quaithe said, as if she could read her mind.

Drogon circled around the city, then around them, then came down closer, and closer, and landed in front of them. Dany held out her hand, and touched him.

It was beautiful to watch, Yara thought, realizing she would not be capable to describe this wonderful reunion in words.

As they rode on the dragon, Dany saw a man, looking at them, not from far away.

"I think I know you. You were there in the battle of the gold road. You tried to kill me, and Drogon, with your scorpions?"

"Yes." Bronn had to reply, he was confused, is this the same Dragon queen? Her hair was cut down short. And her tone seemed more curious and amused and tired than angry. She talked like she had a youth mind respawned with all memories intact. Was it her? Drogon screeched at him.

"What are you doing this far away?"

"Nothing. I lost my way."

"Lost your way in so far away a land?" Quaithe quipped, "Why don't you tell the truth, Ser Bronn of the Blackwater?"

"I came to help in the arrangement of your death."

Dany shook his head. Somehow the guy looked funny to her. "And you could yet? Or are you going to try now?"

"No" Bronn shrugged, gesturing at Drogon. "There he is. And watching three beautiful women ride a dragon is something more than I expected, not worth killing one."

"Careful! She is the queen." Yara shouted.

"It is ok." Dany seemed more concerned about leaving the place than his words for now. "What are you going do now?"

"I do not know. I need to leave, but I do not know this city well."

"Do you know the language spoken here, or Valyrian at least?"

"No."

"Come with us then. Asshai is strange and dangerous, more for somebody from Westeros. We will drop you off somewhere." Dany said casually. Yara looked at her surprised.

"Where are you going?" Even Bronn was hesitant, he did not understand the dragon queen of this haircut and this casual tone. She is not sounding anything like magnanimous, but she is sounding too casual and apathetic and careless for Daenerys Targaryen.

"We need to find dust of unicorn's horn to complete her recovery." Quaithe said.

"And where nearest can we find that?" Yara asked.

"I do not know that. But I know the person who will be able to tell where we can find that nearest, without any lies or deceit." Quaithe replied.

"And who is that person?" Daenerys asked.

"The chief monk of Yi Ti".

"Then on our way, I could tell my ship to follow us to there." Yara said.

Bronn made a rapid calculation. Any place other than Asshai will be safer for him. And any destination more west and more north from here on a dragonride will quicken his trip back. "I will take the lift. Thank you."

"What are you doing my queen?" Yara was anxious. "He came to kill you. He admitted that himself."

"There were many fools who tried to kill me before. Only one of them succeeded." Dany sounded sad. "Come!" She held out her hand for Bronn.

In the dark, their four bodies clang tightly to the scales of drogon, and looked as if Drogon was carrying a four-headed-beast.They flew off in the night sky, leaving the bleak city of Asshai behind.

\------------------------------------

It was not a city, it did not look like one, yet they called it a city. The ghost city. The Ibbenese man left them on the edge of this forest and bid farewell. They are on their own since then. Trying to find the children of the forest.

Although they did not find yet, they could however got their first sight of a weirwood tree in Essos. A face was carved there, of a happy man, smiling.

Jon decided that if a child of forest is to be found, then likelihood is high that it may happen near their God, the Weirwood tree. So they stopped and camped there. Ghost hunted down rabbits for a meal, and Jon was tired enough to quickly fall asleep after that.

 

He woke up to find themselves surrounded by three little girl, or some creature looking like little girls. He was surprised that Ghost did not mind their presence at all.

When one of them spoke, the voice sounded like wind whispering to him.

"Welcome Aegon Targaryen. We were waiting for you. A long time."

\------------------------------------

 

Arya stared back at the eyes looking at her fixed, trying to gauge if that's a human eyes, whether other sounds are present around and at the same time how many of the kidnappers were still left to leave. It was certainly a human eye. Not a very aged one. And innocent. Probably as innocent as Arya ever noticed after Gendry or Jon using her skills learnt at the house of black and white.

"I am not going to hurt you." Arya said in a voice as much polite, soft and low as she could manage. The eyes did not move.

Arya pretended to lay down her Needle and the Valyrian Steel dagger on the ground near her, not far away. She was fast and careful enough to to grip them if need would arise. She spread her hand. Bowed a little. Knelt down. Tried every gesture she knew to indicate intention of harmlessness. The eyes would not move, stay fixated looking at her, with fear and curiosity at the same time.

At last, she could not help smile.

And the eyes smiled too, and got out of the bush.

It was a boy in his teens, with a tanned brown skin, looking like a little bit similar to some far-easterner Arya saw while in Braavos. With eyes full of simplicity and curiosity. He looked at Arya, her hairstyle, her armors, Needle, the Valyrian steel dagger, the leaving kidnappers, the ship, and then back again Arya. There was no hate in that look, no lust, only fear and curiosity.

Arya held out her hand, smiling still.

The boy held out his, not knowing how to shake, he touched Arya's hand, and curiously looked at her fingers and the chain malls.

Then he smiled as well, the smile of a child, a happy one.

\------------------------------------

Little Sam was very happy and excited. He ran looking for his father, he has to show him the horn and it's letters. Some noise was coming from his father's room, he slowly entered there. They were quarreling.

"I will ask her and tell you why she said that. But before, tell me why did you throw away all these important stuff?"

"Garbage you mean? Go ahead, pile up your garbage and sleep there with.."

"What are you doing here, son?"

Little Sam stood there. Looking at his parents. He felt like crying. Any time they quarrel, he feels anxious. Something heavy in his chest piles up and it feels heavy, and he feels like crying. But he is not a little crybaby anymore. Not like his little sister. So instead of crying he tried to think how to make his parents happy and smiling again. He looked at the horn. Perhaps this, may make them surprised and happy, and may be they will stop fighting.

Sam held up the horn to his mouth, and with all the force he had in his little windpipe, he blew the horn.

They looked at him. It was a sound not very loud, but there was something queer about it. The horn's sound seemed to come from somewhere very far away.

And Little Sam blew it for four times, for four of them - father, mother, little sister and him. Then the horn burst asunder.

\------------------------------------

 

They went out of Castle Black, and were trotting at the open fields near the haunted forest. Maester Foote was teaching them techniques for planning for crops and how to prepare the fields.

"It depends on the crops. For some crops, plowing the land for once is enough. Some crops demand more than that."

 

"And if we are lucky, we may also find stuff hidden, like the horn of Joramun." quipped Tormund.

"What is it?" Maester Footed asked.

"It was a magical horn, of King Joramun beyond the wall. That horn made by the children of the forest could melt all the ice and bring down the wall. That may help watering your plants for sure."

"I thought we were done with your bedtime stories. Now listen.." Maester Foote started again, then he stopped. Everybody was listening, not to him though. There was a sound, of a horn blowing. It came from far, far away.

Once, twice, thrice and then again for a fourth time. The expressions changed in their faces between fear and curiosity as the horn went from the third to fourth. What does that signal even mean?

Then they heard the trembling.

Was it an earthquake? Tormund did not know. But all the remaining snow around them began to melt, vibrating with the last horn, and melting. But that was not all. One of the freefolk noticed it first and shouted "The wall!".

And they all looked back. The Wall was melting down, coming down, all of it, into water.

(End of episode - The Horn)

(End of Season One - The Chronicle of Smoke and Salt)

(To be continued)


End file.
